Dragon Ball Hazard
by Hung Nguyen
Summary: Trunks gets pulled into the world of El Hazard.
1. The First Night - A Saiyan in El Hazard!

**Dragon Ball Hazard**

by 

Hung (Animeaddiction) Nguyen 

Introduction: This was another of my non-Ranma stories that I had wrote on paper after Bubblegum Fury. Like that story, it had been shelved and forgotten after I started Dual Destinies. After receiving many compliments and praises for Bubblegum Fury, I decided to give this story a chance as well. It has already been written out and just needs a few touch-ups for each chapter, before I commit them to my word processor and then to the Internet. I have received many challenges to combine different anime worlds, and I would think that Dragon Ball Z and El Hazard are about as different as one can get. The story is sort of a crossover/fusion and stars everyone's favorite half-Saiyan, (at least in my book), Trunks! This seven-part epic takes place sometime during Trunks' teen years, before the events of Dragonball GT. He is around seventeen years old and is attending high school, much to the disapproval of his father Vegita, who wants him to continue training as a true Saiyan warrior. The high school is Shinnanome and something has just been discovered in the basement! The discovery was... aw, that would be telling! So enjoy the first chapter of Dragon Ball Hazard! 

Disclaimer: You thought I forgot to do this, now didn't you? The characters of Dragonball Z and El Hazard belong to their creators and I am only using them to tell a story. So there! 

: Thoughts 

**The First Night **

A Saiyan in El Hazard! 

"We're here at Shinnanome High School, the site of one of the most remarkable discoveries of this century! With us today is the student body president, Katsuhiko Jinnai, who claims to have been the one responsible for finding of these ancient ruins." The reporter proclaimed as she spoke into the microphone while facing her cameraman. Beside her was a teenage boy in a school uniform that was immaculately groomed. He took out a comb and bushed up his bangs before flashing a smile to the camera. 

"Yes, I, a humble student at this school had made this incredible discovery, and so I would think that it would only be fitting that this place be named the Katsuhiko Jinnai Ruins, in honor of the one who found them, namely me of course." Jinnai smirked as he tried to grab as much of the glory as he could, despite the fact that he had nothing to do with the discovery whatsoever. In truth, the discovery had been made accidentally by some construction workers after they had started tearing down an old section of the school. 

At that moment, another person made her way toward the area, along with her own camcorder. 

"Make way! Make way!" The young girl called out as she unceremoniously pushed out in front of the news reported and shoved the front of her camera in front of Jinnai's face. 

"Katsuhiko Jinnai! What are your comments to the accusations made by the student council that your election to student president was in fact, rigged and that you had paid off the various clubs to vote for you?" 

Jinnai stuttered as he found himself in an embarrassing situation. His sister Nanami was making a fool out of him on live television! "N-N-Nanami! You're my little sister! What the HELL are you doing here?!" 

The young girl shrugged. "Just doing my duty as a video journalist and exposing the truth to the public!" 

"You're not even IN the Video Club!" 

"They paid me to do it. In any case, what are you going to do about tomorrow's hearing, hmm? I hear that they have a star witness who will expose you for the lying, cheating rat that you are!" 

"I'm innocent! This is all a plot to defraud my good name!" Jinnai retorted, which made his sister giggle with amusement. 

"What good name?" Nanami said in a mocking tone. "The word 'good' has never been associated with you, big brother. And after Trunks gives his testimony, your reign of tyranny over the students will be over!" 

"What?! Trunks is the witness?! How dare he?! I'll kill that....!" Jinnai stopped in his rant as he saw that he was still on the air. "What are you looking at?! The interview is over! Get that camera out of my face!" 

The camera then showed nothing but static as Jinnai shoved the device out of the cameraman's hands. 

---------- 

"Get moving! Nothing to see here!" Masamichi Fujisawa said as he blocked off the stairs, which led to the ruins. The students crowding around the area groaned as they began to disperse to their classes. 

The history teacher nodded as he turned around to continue cornering off the entrance. 

"Now where's that masking tape?" Fujisawa mumbled as he reached into his coat pocket. As he pulled out the roll of adhesive, something else also came out and made a dull clunk on the floor. 

"Hey look! Mr. Fujisawa's on the sauce!" One of the students cried out as he pointed to the bottle of alcohol that had fallen from the teacher's pocket. 

The teacher quickly started waving his hands frantically as he tried to explain. "No! You don't understand! It's purely medicinal! It's not like I have a problem!" 

The students weren't buying it as they gave him disapproving looks and began whispering among themselves. 

When the crowds finally walked off, Masamichi hung his head and half-sobbed to himself, "It's not my fault that I'm weak." 

At that moment, a young man walked up to him and causally picked up the bottle. "You know sensei, it's not good for you to poison your body like that." 

The teacher looked up and his mouth turned up into a small smile as he saw who was handing him back his bottle. "Trunks! How are you today?" 

The youth smiled as he brushed a strand of his light purple hair from the rest of his bangs. Unlike the rest of his fellow classmates, the Saiyan half-breed was dressed in loose black pants, brown boots, a black muscle shirt and was wearing a blue jacket that bore the logo of his mother's company on the shoulder. Since his family was quite wealthy and had donated generously to the Shinnanome when Trunks enrolled, the school board had allowed Trunks to dress as he saw fit. 

Of all the students that he taught, Fujisawa liked Trunks the best. The young man was quite attractive to the girls and many of his female classmates often gazed at him longingly, instead of listening to the day's lesson. His personality was likeable and he had a kind of warm spirit that made him stand out in a crowd. He had a well-built form and excelled at gym period. He had often been asked to join the sports teams and compete, but to many people's disappointment, Trunks would always turn them down. Fujisawa could not understand how such a physically talented young man would want to hide such gifts. He had seen Trunks run once during a track meet. He had been astounded, along with everyone else when he broke the school record, and possibly the world record, by running the 100-meter dash in six seconds. 

Like most of the people of the world, Fujisawa was unaware of Trunks' heritage, which made competing against normal humans as mismatched as pitting a supersonic jet against the Wright Brother's plane. In fact, the son of Vegita had been holding back during that competition. Trunks had felt badly after winning that track meet. It had been just like that time at the World Martial Arts Tournament. Despite being at the tender age of eight, both he and his friend Goten were far more powerful than most of the adult human fighters combined. It had been too easy for the half-Saiyans to advance to the finals of the Junior Division. 

While he was growing up, Trunks had felt as if he was living among a world of fragile, glass figurines, and he had to watch it with his otherworldly strength and powers. Over the years, he had begun to lose interest in finding tougher opponents and lessened in his training, much to the dismay of his father. He learned the sciences and Vegita began to bemoan his child for becoming weak and scholarly like Goku's son, Gohan. 

His mother Bulma was more supportive and urged him to make friends and get good grades. However, that old Saiyan instinct for combat did not fade away completely and sometimes Trunks would wish for a challenge. However, with menaces like Garlic Jr, the Red Ribbon Army, Frieza, Cell and Maja Buu gone, there was nothing left for Trunks to challenge, except for the next midterm. Trunks found that he grasped the sciences and mathematics quite easily and he assumed that he got it from his mother. However, he did still train and mastered many of the techniques of the other Z fighters, including the Kamehameha Wave, Piccolo's Beam Cannon, Krillin's Destructo Disc, Tien's Solar Flare, and of course, his father's Gannet Gun. 

"So what's that you got there, Trunks?" Fujisawa asked as he pointed to a long bundle that the half-Saiyan had slung over one shoulder. 

Trunks was snapped out of his reverie and replied. "This? Oh, well it's just something that I've been working on in metal shop class." 

At that moment, the bell rang, signaling the end of the period and the start of the next one. 

"Well Trunks, I guess it's time for you to get going." 

"Yes sensei. I'll see you later." Trunks waved goodbye and turned to go to his next class. 

"By the way, Trunks..." 

The teen stopped and turned his head to his teacher. "Yes?" 

"I hear that you're going to be testifying against Student President Jinnai tomorrow." 

"Yeah." Trunks nodded and let off a quiet sigh. "I... didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I overheard him and the captain of the Baseball Club talking and well..." 

"Good for you son. You should always do the right thing." 

"Yeah. The right thing." _Nowadays, I'm not even sure what the WRONG thing is, much less the right one._ "See you later sensei." 

---------- 

"NOOOO!!! LIES! LIES! IT'S ALL LIES!!!!" 

**_RIP! SHRED! TEAR! _**

Katsuhiko Jinnai continued to rant as he tore apart the posters on the wall that said 'Down with Jinnai.' 

"Why is everyone against me?! What have I done to deserve such disrespect?!" 

The egomaniac placed his hands against the wall and hung his head in frustration. He then looked up and saw that last week's test scores had been posted today. His spirit's rose as he saw that his name was high on the list. He had the second-highest score of the school. The name above his read... Trunks. 

"ARRRGGGHHHH! Again that miserable Trunks!" 

Jinnai shook with anger as he thought back to when Trunks first came to Shinnanome and the times he had encountered the half-Saiyan since then. 

Flashback 1... 

We see Trunks easily winning the track meet, leaving his competition in the dust as he crosses the finish line a good fifty meters ahead. Most of the others cross the finish line panting and wheezing, but the one who finished dead last was of course, Jinnai. In fact, he never even got to the finish line as he held a hand to his mouth and fell down while throwing up. 

Flashback 2... 

Jinnai is admiring his masterpiece as he and his fellow art students sat on a hill that overlooked Tokyo. The sketch of the landscape he had drawn looked like it had been done by a five-year-old. However, as soon as he glanced at Trunks who was sitting nearby and saw how well-detailed and accurate his sketch, the egotistical brother of Nanami went into a fit of rage and broke the sketch board. 

Flashback 3... 

Katsuhiko is pushing his way through the crowded cafeteria and reaches for the last sandwich on the counter. However, just as he was about to touch it, it suddenly blurs from sight and vanishes. He looks over to his right and fumes as he sees Trunks munching on it while paying the cashier. Jinnai is so enraged that he squeezes the milk carton in his hand, causing it to explode and drench his face in white liquid. 

End of flashbacks... 

---------- 

"Grrrrrrrrr, Trunks this! Trunks that! I hate you, Trunks! I am the great Katsuhiko Jinnai, yet you always get in the way of my superiority! You are nothing! You are less than nothing!" Jinnai slammed the point of a screwdriver into a photo of Trunks, winning the track meet, posted on the bulletin board. He began drilling the point even deeper into the surface, finally ripping the picture in half. 

"I swear that your meddling in my affairs will come to an end! WA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!" 

The students who were standing nearby shuddered as they heard Jinnai's maniacal laughter as it echoed throughout the hallways. 

---------- 

Trunks sighed as he went to his locker at the end of the school day. He had been lost in thought as he continued to ponder on what to do with his life. Here he was, one of the most physically powerful individuals on the planet, and yet he felt that he was totally out of place on a now, peaceful Earth. His father, the former Prince of the Saiyans, wanted him to continue training and become a stronger warrior than the members of Goku's family, but what was the point? What good was a warrior when there were no battles to be fought? Nothing had been threatening the world since that time of the World Martial Arts Tournament and the appearance of Buu. For the last ten years, the half-Saiyan had lived without conflict or challenges for his extraordinary abilities. Oh, there were the occasional scuffles and sparring sessions with his childhood friend Goten and the other Z fighters, but even those battles had become routine. 

Now, the sparring was scarce as Goten had discovered girls and spent less time with his buddy. Gohan was now married to Mr. Satan's daughter and was raising his own child, Pan. Goku wasn't around much as he spent most of his time either on Kami's Lookout or elsewhere. Piccolo was hard to find and as for Yamcha, Tien and Chouzu, they had either retired from fighting or were somewhere far away. Krillin and 18 had more or less retired and that only left Trunks' father. 

Vegita was more than willing to train with Trunks, but his constant nagging about how a true Saiyan should act, plus the fact that he disapproved of his son going to an Earthling school made the tension between them even harder to endure. Technically speaking, Trunks wasn't a true Saiyan. Half of his very being came from his mother. So whenever Vegita went on about the proud Saiyan race and how his son should appreciate his heritage, Trunks found himself even more depressed and torn. He was neither truly a Saiyan nor human. He didn't feel that he belonged on Earth, nor would he have felt at home on planet Vegita. That is, if Frieza hadn't destroyed it, along with the rest of the Saiyans. So just where did that leave him? Just where could he find a place that he felt that he belonged? 

The young Saiyan teen sighed again as he reached into his locker and saw that an envelope was in it. He took out the note while placing the long bundle he had slung over his shoulder on the floor. He opened the envelope and unfolded the letter. He then began to read. 

_Dear Trunks. Usually I'm not this forward, but I'd really like to get to know you better. Meet me behind the gym at six. Signed... Nanami?_

Trunks wondered just what this was all about. He was used to getting notes from girls, but this was the first time that Jinnai's sister had really taken notice of him. He had thought that the girl was something special when they first met, but he kept their relationship strictly as good friends as he was fearful of hurting her with his Saiyan strength. There was also the fact that her brother was Kasuhiko Jinnai, a person that Trunks immediately disliked from the moment he met him. In a way, with his pompous and overbearing attitude, Jinnai reminded the Saiyan of that blowhard bully that he met during the World Martial Arts Tournament. He quickly shut that jerk up with one kick. Of course, he couldn't just deal with Jinnai the same way as he did with his opponent. Jinnai wasn't a fighter and even a light kick would probably break most of his bones. Plus the fact was that they were in school and fighting was strictly forbidden. 

Trunks pondered the note for a few minutes before deciding that it wouldn't hurt to meet up with Nanami. His mother Bulma had been urging him to get more involved with the opposite sex, and he figured that this was as good way as any to forget about his own problems for a while. In any case, he did like Nanami's quick wit and enjoyed her company. For a moment, he wondered if this was how Gohan must have felt when he met Videl, then shrugged as he picked up his bundle, hefted it over his shoulder and exited the building. 

---------- 

Mr. Fujisawa's Office... 

"Wow, this looks great! Thanks Nanami!" Mr. Fujisawa said as he took the bento box and began eating the delicious meal within. 

Jinnai's sister smiled as she knelt down in front of her teacher and opened up a thermos. "So you're working late nights now, sensei?" 

The history teacher nodded as he continued to wolf down the food. Beside him on a table were some maps of some mountains, some climbing gear and an ashtray that was littered with cigarette butts. Behind him was a half-empty bottle of sake that he was trying to hide from Nanami. 

"Here we are. Some nice hot tea to wash it all down." 

Masamichi nodded his thanks to her as he took the cup and began to sip. 

"That'll be one thousand and fifty-yen please." 

Fujisawa sputtered and spat out the tea when he heard this and gaped at his student. "W-What?1 You mean... you're charging me?!" 

Nanami shrugged and smiled. "Hey. A girl's got to make a living, right?" 

---------- 

Trunks could only shake his head in disgust while holding the bridge of his nose, as Jinnai laughed mockingly at him. It was bad enough to find out that Nanami had not sent that letter. It was even worse that that her brother had led him into some kind of pathetic trap. Discovering that the letter was in fact one of the many notes that Nanami had written to every other boy in the school... that was adding insult to injury. 

"Okay Jinnai. You've had your fun, but I don't have time for these games. So if you don't mind, (and even if you do), I'll be going now. See you at the trial tomorrow... Mr. Student President." Trunks said the last part with a taunting tone as he prepared to turn and leave. 

"Oh no! I don't think you'll be able to make it to the hearing tomorrow." Jinnai sneered as he reached around his back for something. 

"And why do you say that?" Trunks asked with very little interest. After all, Jinnai was only human. What could he do against him? 

"Because, it is time that I settle things with you, my eternal rival!" 

"Eternal rival? What the heck are you talking about?" Trunks then turned around and was a bit surprised to see Katsuhiko holding out a length of rope. "And what's that for?" 

"According to the articles of the school legislature, if no witness or evidence is brought against me, then my reign as the school president will stand. Since you, my eternal rival, are the opposition's key witness, then that means that if you are not there, then there shall be no case against me! I finally have you in my power, Trunks, and you shall feel my vengeance to your meddling!" 

"Meddling? Vengeance? Eternal rival? What are you, some kind of nut?" 

"You are trying to usurp my position and take it for yourself, aren't you?!" 

"Huh? Now what ARE you talking about?!" 

"I shall not have it! If it is my destiny to battle with you, then I shall keep fighting with every ounce of my being and the final victory shall be mine!" 

_Oh brother! Now I know how Dad must have felt when he had to endure Mr. Satan's rants. Guess I'll have to slap some sense into this dope._

"I have you now Trunks!" Katsuhiko charged at Trunks with the rope held out. 

Trunks shrugged as he reared back with one hand and sent the open palm toward his attacker. 

---------- 

It was at that moment that there was a sudden flash of light, which caused the entire area to be lit up. Then the light faded away, leaving a light blue shade to everything and every one in the deserted school. The entire place was made into a still-life photo as every moving thing was frozen. In Fujisawa's office, both Nanami and her sensei were like statues. The tea in the thermos was stopped in midstream as it appeared that the girl was refilling Masamichi's cup. 

Outside of the school, behind the gym, Trunks found himself staring in wonder at Katsuhiko. The fact that Jinnai was flying backward from the force of his casual slap wasn't surprising. The fact that he was suspended in the air some five feet above the ground and at an angle; that was surprising. Just after he struck, Trunks had been temporarily blinded by the sudden light. For a moment, he thought that Jinnai knew how to do a Solar Flare. However, just as the nut had started hurtling backward, time suddenly stopped and now Jinnai was frozen in mid-flight. 

"Huh?" Trunks cautiously walked up to the motionless Jinnai and looked him over. "Hey! Jinnai! Are you okay? I didn't hit you that hard did I? And how are you doing that?" He rapped his knuckles against Jinnai's forehead. "Hey! Come on! Wake up! Are you dead? If not, then say something! Or at least blink your eyes!" He looked over to Jinnai's face and winced a bit as he saw the impact point in which he hit his face. When and if Jinnai awoke, he was going to have one hell of a swollen cheek. He then looked around and wondered why it was so silent all of a sudden. Everything seemed to be... stopped. 

It was at that moment that he felt a very high power level. However, it seemed to falter and become unsteady in first few minutes after he first detected it. And then, he heard... her. 

"Huh? What?" Trunks couldn't understand whose voice was suddenly echoing his head, directing him to go... somewhere. The voice was so compelling that he could nothing but respond to it. 

---------- 

Trunks was soon going down the stairs which lead to the ruins in the school basement. The voice became louder in his head as he neared the entrance to the site. When he came upon an open area, he stopped short as he saw that the room was illuminated by beams of light being emitted from a strange circular pattern on the floor. On the other side of the room was a large, hexagonal pillar with a weird eye symbol on the top. 

The young Saiyan wondered just what was going on as he cautiously stepped forward toward the pillar. When he crossed the center of the room and brushed on hand on one of the beams of light, a sound was heard and the shaft of light suddenly bent toward him and became solid, entangling itself around his wrist. 

"Hey! What the...?" 

Immediately, the other beams bent toward him, forming a kind of cage around him. Trunks assumed that he had walked into a trap and was about to power up, when the pillar in front of him suddenly creaked and groaned. The middle portion of the pillar suddenly split in half and parted, revealing the inside as the top raised itself. Then suddenly, just as suddenly as they bent toward him, the beams of light vanished without a trace as an eerie mist came forth from within the pillar. Trunks' eyes widened as he saw... her. 

She was beautiful. She had long, pale, bluish-purple hair and eyes of aquamarine. Her skin was pale, almost like an albino's but had a smooth, creamy texture to it. Her body was well formed and lithe, but she seemed to be unsteady in her movements as she stepped off the pedestal and set her bare feet onto the cold floor. Her clothes were tattered and worn. She seemed to be wearing some kind of combination pantsuit with a black tunic that tapered down into coat tails. However, she was unconcerned of her unkempt state as her eyes focused only on the youth before her. 

"At last, we meet again! How I've longed for this day! I have waited patiently for this moment! For ten thousand years, I have endured endless nights, dreaming only of you... my dearest... Trunks." 

Trunks was shaken out of his stupor at the mention of his name as the strange girl staggered toward him and then embraced him tightly. Her legs were weak and she had to lean on him for support. 

"I can't believe that the day has finally come! The thought of seeing you once again is what kept me going for these past ten millennia, my darling Trunks!" 

Trunks swallowed hard as he found himself at a loss of what to do. He then gathered up his courage and said, "H-H-H-How do you know my name? We've never met before. Just... who are you?" 

The girl looked up at him with longing in her eyes. "You mean... you've forgotten?" 

Trunks could only shake his head helplessly. 

The girl nodded as she managed to break the embrace and step backward. "I see... no matter. Time grows short and you must prepare to embark on your journey." 

The son of Vegita jumped back and gripped the bundle in his hands. "Huh? What are you talking about? Just who are you?!" 

The girl stepped back another step as she crossed her hands in front of her chest and bowed her head. "My power has grown weak with the passage of time. With the last of my strength I shall send you to El Hazard." 

"El Hazard? What's that?!" 

The girl smiled as tiny dots of light began trickling from her hands. "I shall always carry you in my heart. Go now, my brave Saiyan. Until the day we meet... anew." 

"Huh? You know that I'm a Saiyan? Wait...!" 

The girl then let loose with a brilliant flash of light which lanced out and enveloped all those within the area of Shinnanome, including Mr. Fujisawa, the Jinnai siblings and Trunks. 

---------- 

Some time later... 

Trunks awoke to find himself lying on the ground of some forest. He shook his head as he sat up and looked around. He didn't recognize the place he was in as it had some` plant life that was unfamiliar to him. He saw that his bundle was beside him and he picked it up as he rose to his feet. 

He his head again as he tried to make sense of what had just occurred. Who was that girl? How did she know his name and that he was a Saiyan? And how did he end up here? 

The young warrior also tried to make sense of the strange images that had appeared in his mind, just after he got blinded by that light. He saw pictures of Nanami, Mr. Fujisawa, and Jinnai flash by. However, he also glimpsed other people and creatures that resembled giant insects. Then he saw two very disturbing pictures. One was that of the strange girl and another was of himself. Or rather a female version of himself with long brown hair. 

He was still trying to figure it out when he heard some rustling and turned to face whatever emerged from the forest. He was about to power up when he saw Mr. Fujisawa come out from some tall grasses. 

"Sensei! Am I glad to see you!" 

The mountain climber and history teacher looked up from the bento he was holding in his hand. "Hey, Trunks! You're here too?" 

"Do you have any idea where we are?" Trunks asked as he relaxed. 

Fujisawa shrugged as he finished off the meal. "Don't know. One minute I'm eating dinner, and the next thing I know, I find myself here." He then tossed away the bento box and looked around. "Just where in Shinnanome are we?" 

"I don't know sir. But... judging by the looks of this place..." The half-Saiyan took another look at his surroundings. It looked like one of those worlds that his father had told him about when he worked for Frieza. "I'm not sure if we're in Japan or even Earth." 

"Huh? Have you been talking with Hayashi of the Science Fiction Club?" Fujisawa downed his cup of tea then tossed it away. "We're probably just somewhere outside of Tokyo or something. We can just take the next road out of this forest and..." 

"And which road should we take?" 

The history teacher took another look around and nodded. "Good point. Well, we can always ask the next person that comes along." 

As if on cue, someone did come along, or rather something. Something that had the head and flippers of a dolphin, yet its bottom half had feet, fur and a long tail. It came out from some tall reeds, waddled between the two and then bounced off into some more reeds on the other side of clearing before vanishing. 

To the young Saiyan, seeing a non-Earthlike creature was not all that surprising. He had witnessed many strange sights in his lifetime and had even seen the dragon Shen Long. Trunks simply turned to his sensei and said, "Sir? You didn't ask him." 

Masamichi Fujisawa was a different matter as he continued to stare at the grass where the animal had disappeared into. "You saw it too? Good. I thought I was having the DTs." His hands trembled as he took out his pack of cigarettes and put one in his mouth. "Now take it easy. Everything will be all right." He used his lighter and took a puff before saying, "I know! A drink will make me feel better." He reached into his other pocket but let out a cry of anguish as he saw the empty bottle. "Oh no! Gone! No drink!" The man then went on and on about his misfortune as he tossed away the bottle. "I don't know what'll I'll do! I've got to have a drink!" 

That was when they both heard the high-pitched scream of a woman from nearby and turned in the direction of the sound. 

"Listen!" 

"Oh shit! Someone else is out of alcohol!" Fujisawa commented. 

Then suddenly, someone else broke through the foliage and ran toward them. The woman then tripped and fell in front of them, her body totally exhausted. 

Both men ran up to her to aid and looked down. As soon as Mr. Fujisawa saw her, his face became beet red as he saw how scantily clad the woman was. She was dressed in an outfit that resembled a harem costume from out of the Arabian Knights. He covered his face while gesturing with one hand to Trunks. 

"Don't look! You're not old enough! I know just how easily you kids get stimulated!" 

Trunks looked over to one side and saw something else approaching at high speed. "Sensei! What's that?" 

"I told you not to look!" 

"No! I mean THAT!" The teen grabbed both sides of his teacher's head and turned it for Fujisawa to see. 

The creatures were huge and disgusting as they charged toward the two and the woman. Their exoskeletons gleamed in the sunlight as their feet made loud clattering sounds. Their mandibles clicked and their antennae swayed back and forth as they advanced on their prey. 

"What are they? Some kind of giant bugs?" Fujisawa said as the monsters neared them. 

Trunks gritted his teeth. There was no choice now. He would have to reveal his Saiyan abilities as his sensei would be clearly no match for those things. He began powering up just as the first of the giant insects took a leap toward him. 

**_WHAM!_**

The young Saiyan stared at his teacher with amazement after seeing him backhand the giant bug away as if he were swatting... well, a bug. He was so distracted by the casual show of super-strength that he let his guard down and that's when a dozen of those bugs dog piled him and his teacher. However, a moment later, Fujisawa let loose with a flurry of punches, scattering the bugs like leaves. 

"Hey Mr. Fujisawa! When did you get so strong? That was cool!" 

The teacher looked down at his hands then smiled as he realized that the tables were turned. "All right!" He then ran toward them, screaming out war cries and delivering crushing punches and kicks. The enemy fell all around him. 

Trunks was still flabbergasted at Fujisawa's performance that he nearly got blindsided by another of the bugs. However, the bug was sent flying into the stratosphere as the teen pivoted on one foot and sent a kick to its mid-section. 

Fujisawa saw the exchange and then smiled as he called out to his student. "Hey Trunks! Looks like this crazy place has given you super-strength as well!" 

Trunks could only smile sheepishly as he sent another five bugs soaring into orbit. He then realized that he didn't have to hold back his strength in front of his teacher. There was no need to explain to him that he had been born with increased physical powers and such. He could just simply let his teacher assume that whatever had given him his power had also affected the half-Saiyan. Though he hated to deceive him, it was a far better solution than telling him that he was half-alien. 

On that note, Trunks decided to put his metal shop project to good use and unwrapped the bundle he had been toting. The sword gleamed in the sunlight as he drew it from its scabbard. The blade was a replica of the one that the Future Trunks had left behind after the Cell Games. After having the alloys analyzed, Trunks had decided to make a blade of his own, just for the fun of it. His father had approved of his son following in the footsteps of his future self. The young warrior had spent many hours practicing with his new weapon and was quite proficient in swordplay. 

The beatings that the insects were getting were bad enough, but when Trunks began using that blade of his, it became a slaughter. They were soon retreating after more of their number fell, leaving the two men and the woman in peace. 

"Damn, I was just getting warmed up." Fujisawa commented as he watched the enemy depart. 

Trunks nodded as he sheathed his sword, then used the strap to hang it behind his back. He was now the spitting image of the Future Trunks. At that moment, more people arrived on the scene, including a few heavily armed guards and some serving girls. They were all dressed in the same manner as that woman. As the girls went to the aid of their mistress, the bearded leader of the guards turned to her savior and knelt down in front of them. 

"Great warriors. We are forever in your debt for saving the life of our princess! From what kingdom do you hail from?" He then looked at Trunks and his eyes widened. "Incredible!" 

At that moment, the woman they had rescued came too and caught sight of the half-Saiyan. "Fatora! You're safe! Oh how wonderful!" She ran towards Trunks and grasped his hands in her own. "Dear Fedora! We've all been so worried! Where have you been, sister? And... what did you do to your hair?" 

Trunks realized that it was a case of mistaken identity as he gently broke off from her grasp. "Whoops! Sorry about this, but I'm not your friend Fatora." 

The woman then backed off as she took another look at Trunks. "You're... not?" She then saw that he was indeed not her lost sister as he was definitely male. 

"No, my name is Trunks." 

Fujisawa nodded as he spoke for him. "He's right. I can vouch for him. He's one of my students. Ah! Where are my manners? I'm Masamichi Fujisawa, a teacher at Shinnanome High School. We didn't mean to drop in on you like this and we've really got to be going. Would you mind telling us where we are? If not, can you direct us to the nearest subway?" 

Princess Rune Venus continued to gaze at the youth whose face looked like her sister's and then nodded to the Lons, the captain of the guards. "Amazing! The resemblance is remarkable!" 

"Yes! And we were just on our way to the oracle to ask on what to do on this situation! It's perfect!" 

"Yes." 

Lons stepped forward and bowed to Rune's rescuers. "Please, come with us, brave ones. We must reward you for your rescue of our beloved princess!" 

Fujisawa held up his hands and tried to turn them down. "Well thank you, but..." 

Lons shook his head. "Oh no! We insist! Please, come with us!" 

As Trunks and his teacher were led away, the Saiyan half-breed wondered if anyone else had been pulled into this strange world with them. 

---------- 

"So you're saying that this place is El Hazard?" Trunks asked as he and the others rode in a craft that resembled a boat but rode on anti-gravity fields instead of water. 

"Yes. From ancient times, it has been the holy land of our people." Lons replied as he refilled Fujisawa's cup. "Ah, I see you enjoy our wine, good sir." 

"Yeah, this stuff is great!" The teacher downed the cup in one go. 

Trunks was lost in thought as he recalled back to when he met that strange girl. "The girl... she said something about sending me to El Hazard. This must be it." 

Lons continued with his explanations as he refilled Fujisawa's cup again. "The woman you had saved from the Bugrom is Princess Rune Venus, the ruler of Roshtaria and the neighboring tribes of El Hazard." 

"She's royalty? Whoa." Trunks was impressed, though technically speaking, he was royalty himself. His grandfather had been the King of the Sayains and his father had been the prince. That made him a prince as well, though the Saiyan race was all but gone now. Only his family and Goku's were all that was left of the once mighty galactic warriors. Vegita and Goku were the last of the pureblood Saiyans. Gohan, Goten, himself and his sister Bra were half-Saiyan, while Gohan's daughter Pan was one-quarter. 

Trunks held up his hand as a bright light shone in front of the ship. Above them, strange bird life that resembled fish with wings flew above them. 

"Do not be alarmed. We are merely coming to the end of the forest." Lons said as he gestured to the city that spread out before them. "Welcome to the capital city of Florastika, the jewel of Roshtaria!" 

Both Trunks and Fujisawa gazed in awe at the gleaming city before them. It resembled a more elaborate version of the ancient cities from 1001 Arabian Knights with gleaming spires, minarets, and bustling shops, taverns and stands. They continued to observe in wonder as they were led to the Royal Palace. 

---------- 

"I am Doctor Schtallebaugh, the Dean of Science and advisor to the Royal Family." The old man said as he greeted both Trunks and Fujisawa. Both men were now sitting cross-legged in a dining room, eating the food that their hosts had provided for them. "I must say that I am intrigued by the story that you have given to us about being from another world. I find it quite fascinating and would like to hear more about it." 

"Well, I don't even know where to start" Trunks replied as he took another bite out of the fish on a stick. "Some strange girl somehow transported us to this world, and we really need to get back." 

Fujisawa nodded as he took another sip of wine. "Yes. We probably have made a lot of people back home worried. So if you could please send us back, then we'd be grateful." 

The Dean sighed and shook his head. "If we had the capability to send you back, then we would. However, I'm afraid that crossing dimensions is beyond us as we do not know the method in which you came to this world, nor do we have the technology or ability to send you back." 

"What?! You can't send us home?!" Fujisawa exclaimed. "Listen here! Back from where we come from, a missing student and teacher makes the damn headlines!" 

"Please understand that we are not refusing your request to send you home. We are eternally grateful for your saving our Princess Rune Venus, but we do not have the means to grant your wishes. And with both the Phantom Tribe and Bugrom at war with Roshtaria, we have very little time to devote to anything else but the defense of the Alliance." 

"Bugrom? You mean those big bugs we fought before?" Trunks asked. 

Lons nodded. "Yes. They are our most hated enemy and it is only through the unity of the tribes that we have been able to hold out against them." 

Schtallebaugh nodded as he continued with his explanations. "Yes. Beyond the Holy River of God that separates El Hazard, there lies a forbidden land where no man had ever entered. That is where the Bugrom Empire is. Their ruler, Queen Diva, leads the fearsome Bugrom against the tribes of El Hazard. I shudder to think of what might happen to any person who happen to enter that place. 

---------- 

Speaking of which... 

"Ow! Why is my cheek so swollen?" Jinnai winced as he continued to wander around in the dense jungles. He then came to a clearing that had some kind of stone platform. It was at that moment that he heard some rustling sounds and turned around to see himself surrounded by Bugrom. 

---------- 

"The Bugrom happen to be our most fearsome foe at the moment, next to the Phantom Tribe. I am very amazed to hear that the two of you were able to beat off so many." The dean remarked. 

"Yeah, you were really kicking butt back there, sensei." Trunks said. 

"Heh. You didn't do too badly yourself, Trunks." He then gestured to the sword that was laying beside his student. "By the way, was that your metal shop project you were talking about?" 

Trunks could only shrug while smiling sheepishly. "Well, I got an A+. And it did come in handy, right?" 

"Remarkable that the two of you were able to accomplish such feats of great strength." Schtallebaugh said. "Apparently, your journey across dimensions must have affected you, and your powers must have been a side effect of that journey." 

"Er, right... a side effect." Trunks laughed nervously. If they only knew the truth about him. 

Lons then became serious as he got up and motioned for Trunks and Fujisawa to follow him. "Please, come with me. There is something of great importance that I must show to you." 

---------- 

"Hey Trunks. Since when did you start dressing like a drag queen?" Fujisawa asked as he and Trunks saw the portrait of the Princesses of Roshtaria. 

Trunks couldn't believe the resemblance between himself and the missing Fatora. Her face was almost identical and the only real differences were, of course that Fatora was a female and that she had long brown hair, as opposed to his short, light purple hair. 

"She looks like me. We could be twins." 

"Yes, the resemblance is uncanny." Rune commented as she entered the room. "That is a portrait of myself and my sister; done only a few days before she disappeared." 

"So where is your sister? Do have any idea?" 

Rune shook her head while holding back her tears. "Not a single clue. And I'm afraid that her disappearance couldn't have happened at a more inopportune time." 

"What do you mean?" Fujisawa asked. 

Rune turned to Lons to continue with the explanations. The captain of the guard nodded. 

"Princess Rune and her sister Fatora are not only the rulers of Roshtaria, but they are also the controllers of the most powerful weapon in El Hazard, known to all as the Eye of God." 

"The Eye of God?" Trunks asked. 

Lons pointed toward the open balcony and Trunks looked up to see a large spherical object high above in the night sky. At first he thought that he was looking at this world's moon, but then saw that the orb had a kind of line running across its equator and a circular design in the center, making it look like the Death Star of the Star Wars movies or... a giant eye. 

At that point, Dr. Schtallebaugh took over with the explanations. "Ever since the holy war from ancient times, the Eye of God is considered the most powerful weapon in creation. Those who knew of its power would live in fear of becoming its target and it is because of this, the Bugrom and the Phantom Tribe have kept their distance from our borders, thus far. Only the female members of the Royal Family of Roshtaria are able to control its devastating power. Now, with Princess Fatora missing, I fear that our enemies may use this opportunity to attack and the alliance between Florastika and the rest of the neighboring tribes would collapse." 

Rune then stepped forward to gaze out into the balcony. "It has all been foretold in the ancient prophecies. When the Eye of God blinks, the path to the sky will open up, and the Shadow Nation shall become one. Then the Golden Champion shall return to save us all." 

_Golden Champion... I don't suppose she means a Super-Saiyan, does she?_ "I see. So what's this all got to do with me and...?" Trunks then blanched as he realized the purpose of bringing him here. "Now hold on a minute. You don't really expect me to do what I think you want me to do?" 

"Tomorrow is the summit meeting between the leaders of all the neighboring tribes." Lons said. "If they were to see that BOTH princesses were present and ready to use the Eye of God at a moment's notice, then they would surely stand with us against the Bugrom and ..." 

"Now hold on! I won't do it! I won't be somebody's sister!" 

"Please! I beg of you!" Rune turned to face Trunks with tearful eyes. "If you do not do this, then the fragile peace between Florastika and its allies would be in jeopardy!" 

"I won't do it! I won't dress as a woman!" 

---------- 

**_CLANG!_**

Trunks grumbled as he and his sensei sat in the dungeon, which happened to be a large column of stone with a wide gap circling it. It was more than a hundred feet to the other side, and could only be reached via the folding platform, which was situated on the other end. This effectively eliminated the need for bars. At least, by human standards. 

Trunks was pretty certain that he could escape from the dungeon without trying. Heck, he wouldn't even have to fly. A good running jump would get him to the other side. However, there was his sensei to worry about, which was the main reason why he didn't resist the guards when they brought them to this place. 

Trunks shook his head again as he tried to figure a way out of this mess without revealing the true nature of his powers to his history teacher. 

---------- 

Bugrom territory.... 

"Well boys, you can all relax now that your friend Jinnai is here." 

Jinnai sat beside the Bugrom around a campfire, patting their backs in friendly comradeship. When one of them offered him a bread-like loaf, he took it and bit into it. "Whoa! Thanks pal. This stuff is the manna of the gods! Yessiree, we are going to get along real well!" 

---------- 

Back in the dungeon... 

"Damn, and we got off to a good start too." Fujisawa commented as he stared at the door on the other side. 

"So do you have any ideas?" 

"Don't worry about it, Trunks! With our new super-powers, we can escape from this dungeon easily. Check it out!" He got up and ran to the other side of the column, He then tensed up and got up to full steam running toward the edge for a jump for the exit. However, he didn't get very far... 

"FUJISAWA JUMP! WHOA!" 

Trunks had to move really fast to catch his sensei and bring him back over the edge before he fell. The history teacher was panting hard as he saw just how close he was from plummeting down the pit. 

"I don't get it. What happened to all my super-powers?" 

---------- 

At the Bugrom Citadel... 

Queen Diva was quite attractive, for a humanoid Bugrom. She had a very slender figure and her hair was a bright magenta. Minor things such as the fact that she had antennae and wasp-like wings only served to enhance her good looks. However, her attractive visage hid a much more insidious and cruel personality as she gazed at the newcomer who was lead to her throne by her loyal followers. 

She stood up from her throne and faced Kasuhiko Jinnai as her subjects kneeled on either side of the aisle that led to her. 

"I am Diva. I am Queen, ruler of the omnipotent Bugrom." 

Jinnai returned the grand greeting with his own. "I am Katushiko Jinnai, and I hail from a land far greater than all others! I am the ruler of Shinnaome High School!" 

Diva studied the person before her for a moment before addressing him once again. "Is it possible that your arrival here is the long-awaited advent?" 

"Sure! Er... Of course I am!" 

"Then tell me... are you the messenger sent from God to lead us?" 

"Er... messenger?" 

"I'm asking you if you are the messenger sent from God to lead us in battle against our enemies in El Hazard." 

Jinnai smiled as he replied. "Yes! I am the one who will lead you to battle... and conquest! Now that's my kind of mission!" 

Diva smiled as she saw her way to glory in this person. "Then you are the one!" 

Jinnai smirk became even more pronounced as he got a rousing cheer from the assembled Bugrom and began milking this newfound fame and power for all it was worth. "We will conquer! I will lead you to victory!" 

Diva joined in with her followers. "We shall be victorious and El Hazard shall finally belong to us!" 

As the cheers grew even louder, Jinnai chuckled to himself. Here he had found a much greater destiny than the one he left behind on Earth. Why rule over a few hundred students when he could have an entire world at his fingertips? 

---------- 

The dungeon of Florastika... 

"Hey Trunks! Do you think you could jump to the other side? Maybe you still have your powers." 

"I guess so." Trunks replied tentatively. It wasn't that he couldn't do it. When he was ten years old, he was already capable of making thirty-five-foot broad jumps. Getting to the other side would be a snap. He walked over to the other side of the column to get a good running start, then paused for a minute before walking back to his sensei. 

"What's wrong, Trunks? Did you lose your powers too?" 

"No... it's not that, Mr. Fujisawa. I just thought of something. Even if I did get to the other side and move that platform over for you to get out, then exactly WHERE would we go after we fight our way out of the palace?" 

"What?" 

"Think about it. We're not only on another world, but in another dimension entirely! Where could we go or who could we turn to for help? We don't know anyone here and we don't have any money. Even if we did, I doubt that Roshtarian people would accept Japanese yen, American dollars or any other kind of Earth currency. We have don't have a single idea of how we got here, (other than that strange girl), and we have even less of an idea of how to get back! So where are we going to go?" 

Fujisawa sank to his knees as the words of his student became clear to his alcoholic mind. He was right. They could be in the dungeon, lost in the woods, trapped in the desert or swimming in the sea. It didn't matter for this entire world had become their prison. 

---------- 

The next morning, in the dungeon... 

"Oh man! I REALLY need a drink!" Fujisawa moaned as he puffed another cigarette from his dwindling supply. He was lying on his side with several cigarette butts strewn on the floor. 

Sitting cross-legged beside him, Trunks was deep in thought as he recalled the words of Rune Venus. 

"When the Eye of God blinks... the path to the sky will open and the Shadow Nation becomes one... the Eye of God..." He then addressed his sensei. "Sensei...what kind of weapon do you think this Eye of God is?" 

"Don't know... maybe it's like a nuclear bomb or something." 

"I've got an idea about this Eye of God thing and..." 

"A DRINK is more important than your ideas!" Masamichi then got up and began to get hysterical. "If I don't get a drink soon, I'm going to go crazy! ARRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHH!" 

"Mr. Fujisawa, don't do it!" Trunks immediately got to his feet and ran after his sensei as he dashed toward the edge of the column. He then stopped in his tracks as he saw his teacher jump the gap with more than three feet to spare and then pound his fist into a nearby wall, crumbling it. At that moment, the doors to the dungeon opened and in stepped Lons and two of the guards. They stood in shock as they now saw a large hole in the wall. Mr. Fujisawa could only laugh nervously as it appeared to the guards that he was about to make an escape. 

---------- 

Trunks couldn't believe that he was doing this as the handmaidens began dressing him in the garb of royalty... female royalty that is. To his more muscular frame, they used looser fabrics and had to tie down his waist to make it appear more feminine. Beside him, Fujisawa was chugging down a bottle of wine, feeling good with himself. 

"I figured out what turns you into Superman; you're being sober. The less you drink, the stronger you get." 

The history teacher looked down at his bottle and winced. "Is that all? Well, if that isn't a cursed gift! But what about you?" 

"I don't drink, so it's no problem for me." 

Masamichi then took another slug before asking his student, "By the way, what made you change your mind about the disguise?" 

"The Eye of God." Trunks wrinkled his nose as facial powder was applied. 

"What do you mean?" 

"When the Eye of God blinks and the path to the sky opens up, and the Phantom Nation becomes one... what I think that means is that the Phantom Nation is another dimension that overlaps with this one and vice-versa." 

"Come again?" 

Trunks sighed as he realized that he was talking like his mother again. "The Eye of God is a weapon, right? That must mean that it's able to break through the dimensional wall." Trunks silently added, _And it may be our only chance of getting back home since this world doesn't have anything like the Dragon Balls. It's not like I can just go look for them and wish for the Eternal Dragon to send us back._

"So what you're saying is that if we can somehow get a hold of it, then theoretically, we can get back home." 

"That's the plan." Trunks said as the servants applied a special dye, which colored his hair brown and then added a wig of long tresses. "So we just play along." He was then crowned with a large hat that completed the ensemble. The servants bowed and left, whispering among themselves that it would never work. 

As soon as Trunks turned around, Fujisawa gave him a wolf whistle. "Whoo mama! How about a date!" He then began laughing. 

Trunks growled at his sensei. "Don't you ever say that to me!" 

At that moment, Rune and Lons entered the chambers and smiled as they appraised the handiwork of the handmaidens. 

"You're so beautiful! You look just like my dear sister Fatora." 

"Yes, he is the very image of her Highness." Lons agreed. 

"Gee, thanks..." Trunks said with a bit of sarcasm. 

"Now don't you worry, Trunks... I mean, Fatora. Just stay close to me during the summit meeting and everything will be fine." 

"Right." Trunks replied with depression. He was thankful that neither his father nor his mother could see him right now. 

At that moment, another person entered the chambers. He was a tall man with long, straight, silver-white hair that was combed back. He wore blue-white robes and black tights. 

"Princess." 

"Gallus! You know that only members of the Royal Family are allowed in here." Rune said as she smiled at her betrothed. 

"Well, can't you bend the rules for your fiancé?" The newcomer said as he took Venus' hand and kissed the back of it. He then turned to greet the others and stopped short when he beheld... the princess 'Fatora.' He then recomposed himself and turned back to Rune. "I heard about the attack yesterday and I dropped everything and rushed over here to make certain that you were safe. If anything had happened to you, I just wouldn't know what to do..." 

"Your concern for my well being is very... reassuring." Rune said with a bit of red in her cheeks. 

"I had thought that your pilgrimage was supposed to be in secret. However did the Bugrom find out about it? Perhaps there is a spy in our midst?" 

"I pray that isn't the case." 

Lons then gave a polite cough and interrupted the couple, saying that Rune and her sister need to prepare for the day's events. Gallus nodded as he gave Rune's hand another kiss and then bowed to the others. Before leaving, he paused before Trunks and addressed him in a polite manner. "You're as beautiful as ever... Princess." 

Trunks could only smile sweetly, (more torturous for him than any of Vegita's training sessions), and replied in the most girlish he could muster. "Thank you, dear future brother-in-law." 

Gallus nodded as he took his hand and gave it a kiss before departing. 

It took all of Trunks' Saiyan will not to throw up. Though he was very curious about that character. Like the other Z fighters, Trunks had learned to sense a person's power levels and there was something odd that Gallus was hiding about himself. 

Masamichi Fujisawa made a disparaging comment about Gallus, in which Dr. Schtallebaugh voiced out his opinion about him when he joined the group. Rune quickly silenced them as she led Trunks toward the main hall where the other leaders were waiting. 

---------- 

Trunks was exhausted that night as he went to Fatora's room to sleep. The entire day had been so hectic and full of close calls, that on several occasions, he had been tempted to give up and to Hell with the whole charade. If it were not for Princess Rune's guidance, he would not been able to convince the tribal leaders that he was the missing Fatora. And then there was that time in which he had to go. When he came to the royal bathroom, he found that it had more than two dozen handmaidens kneeling on the sidelines of the aisle leading to the toilet. So much for privacy and Trunks had to hold it in until he found the servants' restrooms. Even then, he had to wait until it was completely empty before relieving himself. 

Now all he wanted to do was sleep. He didn't even bother to change into some nightclothes as he plopped down into the bedroom. It was at that moment that he felt the presence of another getting into the bed with him. He suddenly stiffened as he felt a pair of small hands roaming over his more private areas and then heard a sultry voice whispering to him. 

"Hello Fatora. It is your true love Allielle, here to soothe your tired bones. Now..." 

As soon as the girl began licking her way up his thigh, Trunks couldn't take it any more. 

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" 

---------- 

Somewhere out in the desert... 

Nanami moaned as she came to an oasis and handed the merchant the last of her yen for some water. However, the man took one look at the alien currency, blew his nose with it, crumpled it up and threw it away. 

Jinnai sister moaned and said, "Why does my life have to be so hard in every world?" 

End of chapter 1 

Author's notes 

Well, as you may have surmised, in this version, there is no Makoto Mizuhara. Now don't get me wrong. I like the character Makoto, but he was just like Kazuki of Dual, Tenchi Masaki of Tenchi Muyo and all those other male heroes who are mostly wimpy, sensitive types and I was getting tired of that. Now I decided to recast Trunks into the starring role and as we all know, he is more than capable of taking care of himself and kicking butt. It was an experiment in which I couldn't resist. I kept on getting ideas about a Demon God vs. a Super-Saiyan and also exploring the inner personality of Trunks. With the exception of the Future Trunks in Dragon Z during the Cell Games, we really don't see much in the way of character development for Trunks until much later in Dragonball GT. Even then, that isn't saying much. 

The first chapter is probably the closest to the original as I can get. As the story progresses along, the readers will notice many changes and such. Why did I alter Fatora's appearance to look more like Trunks? Well, how else could I get Trunks to wear a dress? (grin) Okay, enough small talk. In the second chapter, Trunks will be even more hard-pressed to keep his powers under wraps as he and his group travel to find their way home. They will have to consult the Great Priestesses of Mount Muldoon and the first person the encounter will be none other than Shayla-Shayla. And you can bet that Trunks will make more of an impression with her that Makoto ever did! 

For those of you who are wondering if the other Z fighters will make an appearance... well, that would be telling! Oh and if I spelled any of the characters' names wrong, then I apologize and will spell them right the next time if the readers would give me the correct spellings. See you then!


	2. The Second Night - Fire and Wind: Enter ...

**Dragon Ball Hazard**

by 

Hung (Animeaddiction) Nguyen 

: Thoughts 

**The Second Night **

Fire and Wind: Enter Shayla-Shayla and Afra Mann 

"AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!" 

The denizens of Florastika were startled from their slumber as a horrified scream was heard from the heights of the palace towers. They became even more startled when a huge explosion flashed from the top of the east tower, blowing out the room within. 

---------- 

The palace guards were on the scene in a flash as they burst into Fatora's room. They stood in shock as they saw a huge gaping hole in the wall and the entire area was in shambles. The bed was only good for firewood now and the entire floor had been torn up. Lying dazed with her feet sticking up was Allielle. She moaned a bit as her eyes were glazed with disbelief. 

Leaning against one of the remaining walls, still in his princess disguise, Trunks was panting hard and clutching at his chest. Okay, he admitted that he did go overboard with that energy blast, but no one had ever grabbed him down THERE! Allielle had been completely taken in by the disguise and naturally decided to... take certain liberties that she usually had with the real Princess Fatora. She had been just as surprised to find something that wasn't supposed to be there. 

Trunks could only laugh nervously and shrug his shoulders at the confused guards. "Don't worry... I'm always... this.... lively at bedtime... heh." 

---------- 

The very next morning... 

"Come again? You're Fatora's lover?" Fujisawa asked as he, Trunks and the girl sat in the ruined bedchambers. 

The young girl with the dark purple hair nodded as she explained. "Yes, I was out visiting relatives and I just came back to Roshtaria last night." She then looked as if she was about to cry as thought about her missing princess. "I had just heard that my dear, sweet Fatora is missing! Oh, I never should have left her!" 

"Excuse me, but haven't you ever thought of changing?" Fujisawa asked. 

"No! I love her! I'll never give her up!" 

Trunks sweatdropped. "Er, I'm really sorry about all this, Allielle is it? It's just that..." 

The girl then composed herself and nodded to him. "Oh, don't worry. I promise that I won't snitch! We've just got to find Fatora! I'm totally lost without my darling!" 

Both Fujisawa and the young Saiyan became even more uncomfortable as Allielle began describing her lover in very lude details. Luckily, she was too wrapped up in finding her beloved, that Allielle had not even asked or mentioned about that strange light that had appeared and destroyed the bedchambers. She was not all that sure what had happened and decided that it was of no importance to her finding her darling Fatora. 

---------- 

"It is very important that no one is to suspect that anything is wrong and continue pretending that Trunks is the princess, Allielle." 

"Yes your majesty, I understand." Allielle replied to Rune as they stood in the chamber. 

Nearby, Trunks stood uncomfortably as the handmaidens reapplied the makeup and adjusted his traveling clothes. He was desperately wishing to be in his normal clothes again, but as long as he was standing in for the missing Fatora, he had endure this charade. He was now keeping his regular clothes and sword in the capsules that he carried with him. He always had a supply of the wondrous storage devices with him, since his mother had inherited the Capsule Corp from Dr. Briefs, his human grandfather. Dr. Briefs and his wife had recently retired and let their daughter Bulma take up the reins. Though his father would never admit it openly, Vegita did find the capsules to be very useful. The business had thrived so much, Trunks' family was now among the richest in the world. They were wealthier than even that 24-karat fake, Hercule Satan. 

Behind him, Fujisawa was sitting on the floor and fashioning a length of rope. He was genuinely enjoying himself as he was looking forward to the journey ahead. He looked up to Dr. Schtallebaugh and Lons. "So tell me more about this Mount Muldoon and why we have to go there." 

Schtallebaugh nodded as he replied. "Atop the holy mountain reside the three great Priestesses of Muldoon. They are the keepers of the ancient laws and the sacred Elemental Lamps. Each controls an aspect of nature and they are known far and wide for their great powers and wisdom. It is they who hold the key to unsealing the Eye of God. And the only people who can make that request are the members of the royal family of Roshtaria." 

"Namely Princes Rune and..." Fujisawa glanced over to where Trunks was. "...princess... Fatora." 

"Correct." Lons said. "And because of the Bugrom attack yesterday, we fear that it is too dangerous for Princess Rune to leave the palace. Therefore, we think that it would be safer instead for Trunks to go to Mount Muldoon and ask the Three Priestesses to unseal the Eye of God." 

Trunks sighed sadly as the handmaidens put on the last of the makeup. "Isn't there any other way to..." 

"I'm afraid not." Rune said. "The Three Priestesses are the only ones who can unseal the Eye of God and they will only do so on the command of the Royal Family." 

"But I'm not part of the Royal Family!" Trunks said with exasperation. 

"True, but until we can find our long-lost Princess Fatora, you shall have all the authority and responsibilities of her highness. " Lons said. "You are our emissary to Mount Muldoon and we are certain that the priestesses will grant our request." 

Trunks could only shake his head and sighed again. 

At that moment, as his sensei was reeling in his homemade mountain-climbing gear, something peeked out from behind a curtain and reached for a piece of rope. A feline head emerged, followed by a furry body and a fluffy tail. The cat padded over to where Trunks was and sat down on its haunches. Trunks looked down at it and saw that it had thick, brown fur and an orange mane that went from the top of its head, ran down its spine and ended in a lush tail. The feline cocked its head at Trunks, then amazingly... it spoke. 

"Fatora." 

"Huh?" 

Rune then noticed the animal and smiled. "Oh yes, I almost forgot. You shall be protected." She then gave the cat a sharp command. "Ura!" 

The cat got back to its feet and hunched over as it tensed up, ready to pounce. In an instant, it leapt at Trunks and flattened out its body, wrapping itself around his torso. The young Saiyan almost powered up in surprise but managed to keep himself under control as he looked at Rune and Lons in surprise. "What kind of crazy cat is this?!" 

Rune chuckled a bit. "What you call a cat, we the Royal Family use as living armor. Ura used to be Fatora's and now she will protect you." 

"Ah, he looks even more like her highness with the cat around him." Lons commented. 

"He sure does! Even I'm getting turned on!" Fatora said coyly. 

Trunks sweatdropped heavily, then looked at the cat that was now wrapped around him. Ura's head was located near his left shoulder. "Hey Ura. Nice to meet you. I'm Trunks." 

Ura smiled as she cried out his name. "Trunks! Trunks!" She liked the way he smelled and he seemed very nice. 

---------- 

Princess Rune watched from the balcony as the cruiser lifted off for Mount Muldoon. Aboard the vessel, Trunks, Allielle and Fujisawa looked out toward the horizon as the craft sped along. The history teacher and devoted mountain climber was more than ecstatic at the prospect of climbing Muldoon, in which Lons had described as the most treacherous ascent that few had ever attempted and survived. 

As Rune watched the cruiser become a distant dot, she sighed and hoped that their mission was a successful one. Walking up behind her to join her on the balcony, Gallus nodded as he too watched the cruiser disappear over the horizon. 

"I'm quite certain that your sister will be successful in convincing the Great Priestesses to unseal the Eye of God." 

"Yes." Rune replied without taking her eyes off the horizon. 

Gallus then looked over to the main courtyard and was slightly puzzled when he saw that one of the spires of the upper fences had been torn off. 

---------- 

On the cruiser, Fujisawa admired the homemade pickaxe that he had fashioned from that piece of fence. Standing at the bow of the ship, Trunks grumbled. This trip was taking too long for his liking. He could have just as easily gotten to and up Mount Muldoon in minutes at full flying speed. However, it was just too risky. He couldn't reveal to his teacher that he had more than just super-strength. If they ever did get home, he would have had a hard time explaining to him that his father was from another planet and that others like him were on Earth. Heck, most of the populace believed that Mr. Satan was the one who had defeated the super-android Cell, seventeen years ago. Only the Z fighters and a few others knew the truth that it had been the work of Goku and his son Gohan. Goku had sacrificed his life to keep Cell from destroying the world and Gohan had finished the monster off. 

So for now, Trunks just had to endure the relatively slow and arduous journey by traveling like a normal person. It was made even worse that he had to do it in a dress. 

---------- 

Meanwhile, as these events were taking place, in the Bugrom Citadel, a great celebration was unfolding. The insect race were ecstatic as they had just conquered a neighboring territory with relative ease, thanks to their new general, Katsuhiko Jinnai. 

Jinnai stood proudly as he was awarded the Bugrom's highest award from Queen Diva. Under his leadership, the territory of Bedlam had fallen with very little trouble for the giant insects. Since the Bugrom forces had become more organized with Nanami's brother at the helm, the minor countries stood very little chance of defending against the invaders. It was only a matter of time before Roshtaria itself would be under siege. 

Later on, Jinnai was relaxing in Queen Diva's private chambers. The Bugrom empress smiled at her new general as she lunged on an elaborate sofa opposite to them. 

"I must say that I am very impressed, Mr. Jinnai. An entire country falls to the might of our forces, thanks to you!" 

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! You can think of that territory as a small appetizer. Now I suppose you would like to be served up the main course... say, the kingdom of Roshtaria?" 

"Mmmmm. You make war sound so delicious!" 

At that moment, a small, winged Bugrom flew into the room and landed before his queen. He then relayed an urgent message to her, which made the Empress frown as she addressed her new ally in conquest. "Mr. Jinnai. I have just received some very disturbing news. Do you recall the weapon that I had told you about?" 

"Yes. You called it the Eye of God. What of it?" 

"It seems that accursed Rune Venus has sent her sister Fatora to Mount Muldoon to ask the Three Priestesses to unseal the weapon. If that happens, then all of our plans shall be ruined!" 

"Is that all? Don't you worry about that." Jinnai gave an off-handed wave. 

"But, the Eye of God is the most powerful weapon in all of El Hazard! Nothing can stand against it!" 

"Hah! So what?" Jinnai scoffed as he stood up. "Any weapon, no matter how powerful it may be, is of little value unless its owner uses it. The nuclear missiles that were created during the Cold War on my world were destructive, but they ended up as overgrown paperweights and were never used. As I recall you telling me, the Eye of God needs both princesses of Roshtaria to activate it. The answer is quite simple. We just eliminate little Princess Fatora and the Eye of God is of no consequence. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" 

Queen Diva became even more intrigued at her new commander as he casually spoke about murdering one of the members of Roshtaria's Royal Family. 

---------- 

In an hidden cavern beneath the city of Florastika... 

"Our plans are going smoothly, but there has been a little snag." Gallus said as he addressed a blue-skinned woman that was wearing a dark cloak and kneeling before him. "The Princess Fatora has left for Mount Muldoon to consult with the Great Priestesses to unseal the Eye of God." 

Kiria's head went up when heard of this. "What? That is impossible, my lord!" 

"Yes, indeed. Princess Rune has found a double and the members of the ruling council believe that this imposter is her sister. And I cannot reveal this fake Fatora to them for I would fall under direct suspicion for having knowledge of it." 

"It must be a cruel irony that you cannot expose this imposter." 

"No matter. This turn of events does afford us an excellent opportunity. I have disseminated information about this fake Fatora's whereabouts to the Bugrom. They will surely attack the double to prevent her from unsealing the Eye of God. In the confusion, I want you to assassinate this imposter." 

"As you wish, my lord." With these words, the Phantom Tribeswoman faded from view to do her ruler's bidding. 

---------- 

Trunks sighed as he trudged with Allielle up the steep slopes of Mount Muldoon. Padding along side them was Ura. Ahead of them, walking briskly and having a good time of it was Mr. Fujisawa. He was singing a little ditty as he continued to ascend. 

"Oh, don't ever fall in love with a mountain man... he'll leave your heart in a valley as he climbs again..." He soon came to a signpost which indicated the direction of the mountain path they were taking. He then took a look around him and whistled at the rocky terrain below. "Wow! Look out Alps! The Himalayas would look like anthills compared to this!" He turned around and called back to others. "Hey! Hurry up back there! You're missing great view! You kids today got no stamina!" 

Allielle panted as she was unused to traveling for so long and on such rough terrain. "I think your teacher is on another one of his trips!" 

"That's what the caravan said when we left them behind." Trunks replied. He wasn't feeling tired, thanks to his unique physiology. The only real challenge was restraining himself from just taking off and flying up the mountain side. He was restricted to just trudging along like a normal, though super-strong human being. 

Eventually, the trio stopped to rest on a rocky ledge before ascending the mountain once again. However, they were not alone as several pairs of beady eyes and one pair of squinty ones were watching them with murderous intent. Since their collective power levels were relatively low and they were quite some distance away, Trunks could barely sense them and assumed that they were just part of the usual background energies. 

"Grrrr, Trunks, I would know you anywhere, in any world! You think that flimsy disguise would fool me?" Jinnai then caught sight of Allielle. "Ah, the Princess Fatora. She'll die any way!" He turned to address his band of Bugrom. "Hear me, my devoted! It is time to crush our enemies into the ground!" 

The insects nodded as they began to move forward to attack. However, Jinnai waved them back and started yelling at them. 

"What's the matter with you?! You can't just march in there against a mind like that! We need a plan!" Jinnai paused for a moment before slamming a fist into a palm. "Oh yeah!" 

---------- 

A little further up the trail... 

"As you can see, this is a perfect opportunity for an ambush!" Jinnai said as he pointed to a sign which indicated to the left fork in the road. 

The Bugrom could only scratch their heads in confusion as they didn't comprehend their leader's intent. 

Jinnai slapped his forehead before reaching up and turning the sign to point toward the right fork in the road. "There! Now do you understand?" 

The Bugrom all pounded one fist into the other hand in instant comprehension. 

The fanatical former Student President sighed as he said, "You must give up this irritating notion of honesty. I shall teach you how to commit the perfect foul! Now follow me!" 

---------- 

"Faster! Faster! They'll be here any minute!" Jinnai paced in front of the group of Bugrom as they continued to dig a deep pit trap. "Where I come from, this would be called the ultimate pitfall!" He then addressed a large, purple-colored Bugrom. "You there, Groucho! Stop your slacking!" 

The insect looked up and pointed to himself while emitting some noises which loosely translated as, 'Who me?' 

"Damn right I'm talking to you!" Nanami's brother then pointed to the others. "From now on, your names are... Harpo... Cheeko... Zeppo and... Gummo!" He then spoke to another Bugrom that walked up to him. "Yes, what is it, Margaret?" 

The Bugrom indicated with a flick of his antennae. This caused Jinnai to go into a rage. "What?! They took the other route?! Grrrrrr! Trunks! He always seems to be there to mess up my plans! Let's go!" 

---------- 

Some time later... 

Trunks sighed for the umpteenth time as he and his group made their way across some very narrow and crumbling stone bridges. Below them was a deep chasm. One wrong move would give a person a very long time to wave goodbye as he plummeted to his death. Of course, Trunks wasn't worried about that since he could fly. What got him upset was the fact that there had been an easier way of getting to the top. However, Mr. Fujisawa had insisted on taking the scenic route. 

This included clinging to the sheer face of a very narrow pathway, scaling the most steepest side of Mount Muldoon and entering a cavern that would freeze anything in a hard crystal substance. The young Saiyan found the heavy robes he was wearing as cumbersome and ill-suited the journey. How can anybody wear these things? And that girdle he was forced to wear wasn't helping either. 

"Shoot! What's with this silly wind and stuff? AND WHERE IS THE DAMN SNOW?!" Fujisawa complained as they continued on their way. After losing his bottle of wine in the Crystal Cavern, Fujisawa's superhuman strength had been steadily returning. 

Allielle gasped as more of the bridge they were traversing began to crumble. "Please sir! Be quiet or you'll cause the whole bridge to collapse!" 

Walking ahead of them, Ura stopped suddenly as she sensed an evil presence. Her suspicions were confirmed as the rest of the group stopped when they heard Jinnai's crazed and maniacal laughter. Then the villain himself appeared from behind a rock on the other side of the bridge. 

"Well, well! If it isn't my arch-nemesis, Trunks! Long time, no see!" 

Trunks' eyes widened as he saw him. "Huh? Jinnai? You got transported here too?" 

"As always, my archrival contrives once again to ruin my plans of greatness with his meddling!" 

"Huh? What are you talking about? We're just here to..." 

"Don't hand me that!" Jinnai shouted in outrage. "You're here to stop me from assuming my rightful place as ruler of El Hazard! Well, you're not going to get in my way this time!" 

"You're talking funny again." 

---------- 

On a nearby ledge, the servant of Gallus watched as the drama played itself out. If this Jinnai person succeeded in his bid to eliminate the fake Fatora, then she would not even have to get involved. 

---------- 

"By the way, speaking things that are funny, that sure is a cute outfit you're wearing, Trunks!" 

"Hey! It's not what you think!" 

Jinnai shrugged as he snapped his fingers, signaling for his Bugrom followers to appear. "Personally, I would have thought that a funeral shroud would be more appropriate." 

"It's those bugs again!" Fujisawa exclaimed as he began backing away from the other end of the bridge. 

"Found some new friends, eh Jinnai?" Trunks growled as he tensed up. Ura nodded as she leapt up and wrapped herself around her new master's upper body. 

"These are my new followers, Trunks! They shall put an end to your existence for good! Begin!" 

Two of the Bugrom came up and started chipping away large chunks at the base of the bridge. 

"Oh boy! Retreat!" Masamichi did an about-face with the others but then stopped short as he saw another pair of Bugrom chipping away at the other side. Jinnai continued to laugh maniacally as he watched his foe helpless and unable to do anything. 

Fujisawa then caught sight of another bridge parallel to the one they were standing on some thirty feet away. Dropping his pickaxe, he swept up Allielle in his arms and called to Trunks. "Trunks! Follow my lead!" 

Fujisawa and Trunks leapt as the bridge collapsed beneath them. The history teacher and girl made it to the other bridge, but Trunks and Ura overshot them and landed on another ledge some sixty feet away. 

Jinnai gasped in disbelief. "What the...?!" 

The mountain climber smirked as he taunted their tormentor. "Hah! How do you like our super jumps? I don't go on the wagon for nothing!" 

Allielle gazed at Trunks and asked her savior. "I don't understand, sensei-teacher. How did Trunks make it over there?" 

Fujisawa shrugged. "I guess since Trunks doesn't drink, he's probably at full strength. I'm still feeling a bit... whoops!" Fujisawa then saw that the bridge beneath him was also crumbling away and he then began leaping from bridge to bridge, trying to get away. Even with his returning super-powers, it was quite a workout. 

Fortunately, Trunks was there to lend them a hand. As soon as he saw that his sensei was having difficulties, he started leaping toward them. Just as he reached them, Masamichi and Allielle had landed on a very thin bridge and began falling. The young half-Saiyan grabbed the both of them in mid-jump and poured on the speed. 

"After them!' Jinnai shouted as he climbed on the back of Groucho. The Bugrom began chasing after their retreating prey, taking the more stable routes up the mountain. 

"Hang on guys!" With both people firmly in hand, the son of Vegita leaped like a frog that was hopped up, (pardon the pun), on steroids, putting more distance between them and their pursuers. When they came to a wall of a sheer cliff, Trunks didn't even pause as he made a high jump that would have given him a platinum medal at the Olympics. The three people and cat rocketed upward and reached a level plateau. It was a high jump of more than one hundred feet with some two hundred and fifty pounds weighing Trunks down. 

However, as Trunks landed on the edge of the cliff, it crumbled under his feet. Before he began falling, he quickly tossed his sensei and Allielle to safety. 

"Trunks!" Fujisawa cried out as he scrambled toward the edge and looked down at his student as he fell. It seemed that he was lost. 

As Trunks hurtled down toward the ground, he knew that there was no other way. He was going to have to fly. However, before he could power up his energy to stop his descent, Ura decided to step in. Unaware of her new master's other abilities, she reacted swiftly to save Trunks' life. 

Extending her front paws while keeping the rest of her body wrapped around him, the cat dug her claws into the rocky cliff side. The two of them slowed to a stop and the feline then raced back up the mountain with Trunks in tow. 

Though he hadn't been in any real danger, the half-Saiyan was grateful to the cat all the same. "Hey! Cool! Thanks Ura!" 

"It's a job." Ura said nonchalantly. 

By the time they reached the plateau, Trunks saw that Fujisawa had his hands full fighting off the Bugrom. He knew that his teacher was still under the effects of the alcohol that he had been drinking, and wasn't at full strength. He was getting worn down as he and Allielle were being forced back toward another steep mountain wall. The fact that they were outnumbered ten to one also took its toll. 

There was no point in hiding his full abilities any more. Trunks knew that he had to save them. He began running toward them while starting to power up. Ura became a bit puzzled as she felt a strange energy begin to course through his body. 

---------- 

At that moment, Kiria smiled as held up her crossbow and aimed. Trunks' head was in her sights and with the Bugrom now moving to attack him, her target was therefore distracted and she had the perfect shot. She too was confused as she thought she saw Trunks start to glow. At that moment, she was momentarily blinded as a beam of light struck the ground between Trunks and the Bugrom, causing them to stop in their tracks. 

Everyone looked up in the direction of where that beam had come from and Trunks began sensing a very strong power level. 

---------- 

Atop a ledge some fifty feet above the plateau, the woman stood with her hands on her hips and glaring at Jinnai and the Bugrom. She had bright red hair that was cropped in stylish disarray and trailed down behind her in a long tail. Her eyes were a very attractive green shade. Her skin was a light bronze, She was wearing a red dress that had a hem that barely reached mid-thigh. On her forehead was a headband. Her arms had brown leather elbow pads, and her hands were wearing fingerless gloves. On her left thigh was a kind of leather holster and she wore brown boots. On her hips, the tops of her boot toes, her headband and the back of her dress were several, round, jewels. 

The newcomer seemed to radiate a kind of sensual fire and Allielle instantly became enamored at her. 

"Ooh, red hair..." She couldn't keep her eyes off the voluptuous beauty before them as she continued to glare at Jinnai and his Bugrom forces. Then she spoke in a voice that emulated her position as the Chief Priestess of Fire. 

"And just who gave you the permission to commit murder on the holy mountain of God?" 

Jinnai sneered at the interfering woman who dared get in his way. "Permission? I'll commit murder wherever I want! Get her!" 

Two of the Bugrom leapt to attack the newcomer, but the female simply held up a hand and shot out a gout of flame which fried the insects and sent them crashing down to the ground. 

"Not bad." Trunks remarked. He then reached into the front of his outfit and took out one of the capsules that he carried with him. 

"Go get 'em, sister!" Allielle cheered. 

The woman smirked as she looked down at Jinnai and the rest of the Bugrom. "Hmmm, I've been itching for a fight." 

At that moment, her holster opened up as she reached down to take out the Lamp of Fire. With one quick motion, the device was mounted over her left hand as she grasped the handle at the front and pulled. The handle was attached to a thin wire, which began cocking back the ignition lever like an ancient lighter. When the striker clicked and then struck the flint, the ancient power of Elemental Fire was activated. The jewels of her clothes began to glow and emitted streams of light between them. The woman stood in a ready stance as the streams of energy formed wing like projections about her. Her voice echoed as she tensed up. 

"GET READY..." 

She then leapt down at her foes. 

"GET READY TO DIE!" 

The energy streams gave her a kind of limited flight ability, as if she were moving in lesser gravity. She landed among the hordes and caused a massive explosion of flames, scattering the giant insects like ashes. The Bugrom screamed in agony as their forces became the target of a flaming she-devil. 

At this point, Trunk pressed the top of the capsule and tossed it to one side. 

**_BOM!_**

The capsule exploded and released its cargo, which was a large duffel bag that contained Trunks' regular clothes and his sword. He quickly opened it and grabbed his blade before rushing toward the scene of the battle, intent on helping their new ally. His Saiyan blood began to heat up as his desire for combat started to appear. He quickly slung his sword onto his back and unsheathed the weapon. 

The Fire Priestess was lost in the heat of battle (literally), as she leapt too and fro, barbequing her enemies with every landing. It seemed that nothing could stop her. However, though she was quite powerful, she also had a personality to match her fiery position. She fought with the fury of a volcano, but with very little skill, letting her power simply overwhelm her enemies. When she landed in the midst of a large group of Bugrom, she found herself in a bad position. One Bugrom got too close behind for her to bring up her fire power and she braced for impact. 

**_WHOMP!_**

The Bugrom was sent flying as Trunks' side kick connected. The newcomer then gasped as she saw what appeared to be a girl wielding a very wicked-looking broadsword. Around her chest was some kind of cat. The Priestess had to blink several times and wondered if she was seeing things as the girl blurred in and out, flashing that blade and swinging it about. 

Mr. Fujisawa and Allielle also gaped in shock as they tried to follow Trunks' movements. However, he was moving too fast for them to catch all of his actions. Every now and then they would see a brief glimpse of him as he battled with the Bugrom, then disappear again, only to reappear somewhere else. The only thing that they could discern was the deadly flash of light that his sword produced as he cut through the Bugrom ranks. After fifteen seconds of the dazzling display, Trunks blurred into sight and stopped in a ready pose with sword held high. The Bugrom stood motionless like statues and a foreboding silence came over the area. Then the giant insects collapsed to the ground and fell to pieces. 

Jinnai gulped after witnessing the display and called for a tactical retreat. He quickly jumped onto Groucho's back. As the self-proclaimed future ruler hightailed it out of there with his remaining followers, he shouted back at his rival. "This isn't over yet, Trunks! I'll be back!" 

The red-haired woman watched the Bugrom depart and then turned to the 'girl' who had helped her. She had not heard Jinnai calling the Saiyan by his real name. "I must say, that was really impressive! Though I really didn't need your help, I appreciate it all the same." 

Trunks shrugged as he casually tossed his sword up into the air and leaned sideways to his left. This movement brought his scabbard up vertically and the weapon landed easily into it, sheathing itself with a clang before he stood up straight. 

"You really know how to use that, don't you?" She commented. 

Ura was more than flabbergasted after what had just happened. She had been with her new master the whole time and even she couldn't believe it. She had never moved that fast before. She looked up at him with awe. It had all been a blur. 

Trunks smiled down at his friend and motioned for her to disembark, now that the danger was over. The cat obeyed and unwrapped herself. She landed lightly onto the ground and sat down on her hunches, still looking at Trunks in wonder. 

At that moment, Mr. Fujisawa and Allielle ran up to them. 

"Master Trun... I mean, Mistress Fatora! Are you all right?" Allielle called out. 

The woman's eyes widened when she heard this. "Fatora? You mean... you're...?" 

Trunks sighed as he realized hat he had to take up the charade again. He winced a bit as he... er, she introduced him, herself. "Yes. I'm... Princess Fatora... sister to Princess Rune of the Royal Family of Roshtaria. Nice to meet with you... er....?" 

The woman smiled as she introduced herself. "I am the High Priestess of Fire of Mount Muldoon. Around here, I'm called Shayla-Shayla." 

---------- 

In the temple atop Mount Muldoon... 

"Whoa. So you're one of the High Priestesses, eh? We're all very grateful that you came when you did. I don't know how much longer I could have held out." Mr. Fujisawa said as he and Trunks sat on a couch. 

Standing in front of them and leaning against a counter, Shayla-Shayla nodded and smiled. "No problem. I had wanted to get some exercise and that little battle was just the thing. Though from what I saw, Princess Fatora could have handled it all on her own." She then turned to Trunks. "I never would have thought that a princess of Roshtaria would know how to wield a sword like that. You moved so fast that I couldn't follow you." 

"Yeah, Fatora... I've been meaning to ask you about that myself." Fujisawa said with some suspicion. "I knew that you were strong, but I never thought you could move THAT fast." 

"Oh, it was nothing sen... er, Mr. Fujisawa." Trunks replied nervously. "I was always able to run fast in SCHOOL and I guess I got FASTER later on. You see?" 

The history teacher paused for a moment as he took in Trunks' words, especially the ones that he had stressed. "Oh I get it." He then nodded as he comprehended on what he thought his student was trying to tell him. He remembered back to when Trunks had won that track meet and how fast he had moved then. He assumed incorrectly that the trip to El Hazard had increased all of Trunks' athletic skills, especially his strength and speed. He was still unaware that his student's abilities were due to his alien heritage. 

At this time Allielle started cuddling up to the priestess, which made Shayla-Shayla a bit uncomfortable. "Ooh, sister Shayla-Shayla." 

It was then that a door opened up and a new person walked in. She had dark hair that was cropped short with one tress hanging over his right side. Her eyes were a deep violet, her skin was pale, and she seemed to radiate a kind of cool, efficiency about her, unlike Shayla-Shayla's sensual intensity. She wore a kind of green and aqua body suit with dark blue boots and a kind o short, armored cloak over her shoulders. She had a traveling bag slung over one shoulder as she walked into the room and glared at her colleague. 

"Shayla-Shayla, I thought that you would be ready by now. We're going to miss the Purification Ceremony!" 

Shayla nodded as she gestured to her guests. "Hey Afra. Look who just dropped in. Princess Fatora of Roshtaria." 

"Oh! I see." Afra said as she gave them a slight bow. "One of the princesses of Roshtaria. Welcome to the temple of Mount Muldoon, your highness. I am Afra Mann, High Priestess of Wind." 

Trunks nodded as he stood up. "Er, yes well, I'm afraid that this isn't a social visit. You see, we have traveled all this way because..." 

"I'm terribly sorry, Princess, but I'm afraid that we don't have the time. Whatever the purpose of your visit will have to wait until next time. Good day to you." 

"Hey wait a second! There's something very important that we have to ask of you!" 

However, the two priestesses went out onto a large balcony and looked out toward the horizon. Afra then took out what looked like an ornamental belt buckle and attached it to some clips on her waist. The Elemental Lamp of Wind activated itself as Afra Mann summoned up some very strong breezes. 

Shayla grasped onto Afra's waist and held on tight as she nodded to her colleague. The two of them lifted off into the sky and were out of sight within minutes, heading in a westerly direction toward the setting sun. 

Trunks ran after them as they departed but was stopped by Mr. Fujisawa, who grabbed his hand and pulled him back before he could take off. It was just as well as Trunks remembered himself. Nobody knew that he could fly. He could only watch with in frustration as the two females sailed out of sight. 

---------- 

"So now what do we do?" Trunks asked. 

"They mentioned something about a purification ceremony." Allielle commented. 

Mr. Fujisawa took out one of the few remaining cigarettes that he had left and lit it. He looked out to where the two women had disappeared to. "I guess I wasn't listening. What is that?" 

"That's right! I've heard about it. There's a place called the Spring of Arliman, that's beyond the Desert of Bleached White Bones." 

"Sounds like a real fun place." Trunks said with sarcasm. 

Allielle nodded as she continued with her explanations. "The holy people go there once a year to practice strict aesthetics in accordance to ancient laws. They use that place for meditation and purification." 

'Sounds like it's some kind of hot springs resort." Fujisawa remarked as he took another puff on his cigarette. 

"So what now? Do we head back to Roshtaria?" Trunks asked. 

The history teacher sighed as he finished off his cigarette. "I guess we'll have to follow them into that bone desert." 

Allielle cried out in despair as Trunks could only hold the bridge of his nose and shake his head. This trip just kept on getting worse. 

_Hmmmm, at least Nanami wasn't pulled into this world with the rest of us. She's probably going home from school by now, after working hard as usual._

---------- 

Well, not quite... 

Nanami winced as she clutched the wad of Roshtalls in her hands. She had endured a lot after getting this job as a waitress. Several of the more rowdier customers had grabbed her rear while handing her a tip for her serving their food. She had nearly slugged one man, but had to swallow her pride and restrained herself. She knew that only the money she earned would get her out of the predicament she was in. She looked wistfully out into the evening sky and wondered just how her friends were doing, especially a certain purple-haired teen named Trunks. 

End of chapter 2 

Author's notes 

Well, that takes care of the second chapter and I think I did a pretty good job of it. Trunks is finding it more harder to restrain himself and there will be more character development of our Saiyan hero as time goes on. In the next chapter we'll see a few appearances of the other characters of the Dragon Ball universe as they wonder had had happened to Vegita's son. Meanwhile in El Hazard, Jinnai gets wind of the ultimate weapon... Ifurita. Next on Dragon Ball Hazard, the Third Night: Hot Springs and Hotter Tempers. See you there! (Hey, I've just become the narrator!)


	3. The Third Night - Hot Springs and Hotter...

**Dragon Ball Hazard**

by 

Hung (Animeaddiction) Nguyen 

Disclaimer: Dragon Ball Z and El Hazard are the property of their creators. I'm just using them to tell a story, so don't bother me with legal technicalities. 

: Thoughts 

**The Third Night **

Hot Springs and Hotter Tempers 

Trunks squinted a bit as he looked over the vast and hot wasteland that the cruiser they were riding in was jetting over. The heavy robes he was wearing were not suited for the arid climate and he was sweating a bit. Beside him, Allielle was dying for a drink and Fujisawa was sitting with his jacket draped over his head. Ura was sitting at the front of the craft and didn't seem to be minding the intense heat, which was surprising considering that she had a very thick pelt of fur. 

Behind the group were the two drivers in which they had paid to take them to the Spring of Arliman. They were both wearing some kind of weird umbrella hats to shield their heads from the sun's blistering rays and goggles to keep the sand out of their eyes. They were a couple of short, stocky individuals that were of the unsavory type and Trunks didn't really trust them. However, they were the only ones that he and Fujisawa could find that would to take them to Arliman. The caravan people were unwilling to travel to the sacred place for fear of angering the holy ones there. 

Trunks shook his head again as the trip was taking too long, by his standards. They had been traveling for more than two hours and they were only one-quarter of the way there. He could have made better time flying on his own or using one of the supersonic jets that his family owned; rather than riding this antique bucket of bolts. T the rate they were going, it was going to take them more than half a day to reach Arliman, and time was severely limited. He wanted to get this over with. The sooner the Eye of God was unsealed, then the sooner he could get home. By now, his family and friends were probably worried sick over his disappearance. 

---------- 

Back on Earth, on top of Kami's Lookout... 

"So no one has seen Trunks for the last couple of days, Bulma?" Dende asked. 

The mother of Trunks shook her head sadly. "No. He never came home from school and he's been reported as missing along with two other students and a history teacher. The last time he was seen was when he finished his classes and was heading home. What worries me is that Goku and the others can't sense his energy anywhere. They been looking everywhere for him. Though Vegita may not show it, he's also worried and has been searching the Earth and even out in space. Oh Dende, I'm so afraid that Trunks might be..." 

Dende held up a green-skinned hand. "Don't even think that. I know for certain that Trunks isn't dead. King Yamma or King Kai would have informed me if Trunks had died. His soul would have appeared at the Check-In Station in the Spirit Realm. Though your telling me now of Trunks' disappearance a couple of days ago does seem to fit with something that I sensed at that time." 

"What do you mean?" 

Dende walked over toward the edge of the platform and gazed out at the clouds below. "It was about two days ago that I sensed a powerful and ancient spike of energy, around the time that Trunks would have gotten out of school. It was only there for a brief moment, and I'm certain that the others sensed it as well. I then felt a slight disturbance in the dimensional fabric of reality and then a momentary rift appeared. I didn't think it was anything important at the time and nothing bad had happened. However..." 

Bulma put a finger to the side of her cheek in thought as she was well-versed in the theories of dimensional universes. "Are you saying that Trunks might be in some other... universe?" 

"It's only a hunch, but it is possible. That can also explain why Goku and the others can't sense Trunks' power, since he would no longer be in this dimension." 

"Then... where would Trunks be now?" Bulma inquired with concern. 

"Good question. I... don't have the answer, but I know someone who might." Dende then began reaching out with his telepathic powers to the other side. Bulma began hearing the Namek's voice in her head as he reached out to contact an old friend. 

_King Kai, are you there? It's me... Dende._

---------- 

On the other side, the squat and joke-making Kai of the Northern Quadrant perked up his head and antennae when he received the call. Beside him were his pet monkey Bubbles and his grasshopper assistant, Gregory. 

_Dende! It's good to hear from you again._

_Hello, King Kai. It's good to hear from you too, but I'm afraid that this isn't a social call._

_Yes, I know. Trunks has been missing for a couple of days now. I too have noticed his absence and I have been scanning around for him. If you were thinking that he might be somewhere else, then you'd be right. He isn't on Earth anymore._

_Then... he's still alive?_

King Kai nodded. _Yes. I can sense him, but just barely. Somehow, Trunks got transported to another universe that's so distant, even I don't know its exact coordinates... at least not yet. It'll take at least another day before I can lock in on him._

Dende then asked King Kai, _Is there any chance at all that you can bring him back after you've found him?_

King Kai shook his head. _No. He's too far away, even with the Instant Transmission technique. There's only one way I can think of to bring Trunks back._

_The Dragon Balls?_

_You got it. However, it will take another three days for the Dragon Balls on Earth to be reenergized. They were used last year when some joker found them and wished for wealth and stuff. And transporting Trunks across that far of a distance is going to tax Sheng Long to his limit._

_Well, what about the Namekian Dragon Balls and Porunga?_ Dende asked. _We can ask Goku to use his Instant Transmission technique to go the Namek home world. He's done it before._

King Kai shook his head again. _Nope. The Namekian Dragon Balls have already been used and turned to stone. Last month, the Nameks wished to be protected from a deadly meteor shower, restore the ecological balance of their planet, and bring back another one of their people that Vegita had killed during the Frieza incident. It will take another one hundred and fifty days before they can be used again._

Dende sighed. _All right then. Sheng Long is the dragon we need to bring Trunks back._

_Right. I'll keep scanning and tell you where Trunks is when I find him._

_And we'll start collecting the Dragon Balls on Earth as soon as they reenergize._

King Kai bid farewell as he turned and began scanning the cosmos. 

---------- 

"Bulma, do you still have your Dragon Ball Radar?" 

The mother of Trunks paused for a moment before replying. "Well, actually I don't. The old circuits burnt themselves out, but I'm pretty sure that I can make a new one, no big deal." She then cocked her head in thought and smiled. "Come to think of it, Vegita still has a couple of those old Scouters and it wouldn't be any problem to adapt them with the Dragon Ball Radar circuits. That way, we can have two or three people out looking for those Dragon Balls and collect them even faster." 

Dende nodded as he told Bulma of the plan. "Good. We need to get a hold of them as soon as they reenergize. King Kai told me that Trunks is alive but in a very distant, alternate universe. We'll need the Dragon Balls to bring Trunks back from wherever he was transported to. King Kai told me that we'll be able to summon Sheng Long in three days." 

Bulma nodded with a large smile as she went to her parked cruiser. In three days, she would be reunited with her son again. 

However, a LOT can happen in three days... 

---------- 

In the Desert of Bleached Bones, the cruiser continued to jet across the sand dunes. However, the two drivers were in a terrible state with multiple bruises on their faces. The pair of unscrupulous characters had tried to abandon their riders at the halfway point to Arliman, saying that they would not carry them any further unless they were given more money. They had threatened Trunks and Allielle with their clubs, but the young Saiyan was unimpressed and not at all frightened. He had been ready to give the two of them a very painful beating, but Mr. Fujisawa had beaten him to the punch... literally. 

Being out in the scorching desert heat had made him sweat out every last drop of alcohol in his body. A sober and angry Fujisawa was someone that one should not try to threaten. The history teacher was now standing behind the drivers with both of their clubs in his hand and keeping a stern watch over them. The craft continued to skim across the heated landscape for another hour before suddenly coming to a stop. 

"Oh no! What now?" Allielle complained. 

Fujisawa glared at the drivers. "What this? Do you dare taste Fujisawa's Fist of Justice again?!" 

Both men shook their heads frantically as one of them pointed out in front of them. "N-N-No! Look!" 

The group saw two rows of stone pillars that marked the path toward the Spring of Arliman. 

The other driver groaned as he explained. "Even if you beat us up again, we still won't go in there. Only the holy people can go past this point. That place is BIG trouble!" 

"Are you saying that we've got to WALK the rest of the way?!" Fujisawa roared. 

The two drivers nodded as the second one replied. "As much as we fear for our lives, Mr. Justice..." 

Trunks and his party could only groan in despair at these words. 

---------- 

The Bugrom Citadel... 

"Damn you Trunks! Damn you to everlasting HELL!" Jinnai ranted as he paced Diva's throne room. "How dare you have the final weapon?! I should have it!!!" 

"Well there's nothing we can do about it." Diva said as she relaxed on her throne. 

"This is a battle of wits! An all-out cold war! I need a weapon that can utterly terrorize our enemies!" 

Diva became silent as she went deep into thought. 

"Eye of God, phah!" Jinnai snorted in disgust. "If I had an ultimate weapon, I would have called it demon-something." 

At the mention of the word demon, Diva made a sharp intake of breath in shock, which Jinnai caught. "What is it? Do have such a weapon?" 

Diva swallowed as she replied hesitantly. "Yes... no, it's nothing...." 

"You do have a weapon! tell me!" 

'No! You can't mean..." 

"Tell me now!" Jinnai pressed. "Or are you siding with the Alliance?" 

The Bugrom ruler was shocked at the accusation. "No! But..." 

"But what?! WHAT IS THIS WEAPON?" 

---------- 

The Desert of Bleached Bones... 

The heat continued to beat down on the desert sands as three travelers and their cat continued on their way to the Spring of Arliman. At this point, even the fully-sober Fujisawa was beginning to falter. Allielle was just about to collapse from heat exhaustion. Only Trunks maintained his stamina as they hiked their way toward their destination. 

"Water.... I need some... water..." Allielle moaned. 

Fujisawa gritted his teeth. "Just one cold beer! I'm dying out here!" 

Trunks stopped as Allielle fell to her knees. He ran over to where she was and supported her in his arms. "Allielle are you all right?" 

"Water... I'm so... tired and thirsty..." 

Trunks looked over to where his teacher was just barely standing on his feet and frowned. If his friends did not get something to drink and soon, he would have to risk revealing that he could fly and get them to Arliman. His eyes then widened as he slapped his forehead. 

"What is it, Trunks?" Fujisawa asked as he was about to collapse. 

"Oh good grief! I'm so stupid! I forgot that I had them!" 

"Had what?" 

Trunks reached into the front of his robes and took out a small case. He opened it up and took out a cylindrical object. 

Masamichi's eyes widened as he recognized it. "Hey! Isn't that a capsule?" 

Trunks nodded as he pressed the top of the device. 

"W-What is it?" Allielle asked. 

Trunks smiled as he tossed the capsule off to one side. "Drinks are on me." 

**_BOM!_**

The capsule exploded in a puff of smoke revealing a boxlike object with some coils and tubes on the rear. Ura let off a startled hiss and hid behind Fujisawa when the strange thing appeared. Trunks then walked over to it and opened the front door. 

Allielle thought she was suffering from sunstroke when she felt a cool breeze. Trunks returned to her side and placed something to her lips. 

"Here. Drink up!" 

Allielle opened her mouth and her eyes widened as a refreshing and ice-cold liquid started pouring down her mouth. She quickly sat up, grabbed the bottle out of his hands and greedily took large gulps. The taste was kind of fruity and sharp, but it seemed to revitalize her better than water. She didn't stop until she drained the entire bottle dry. She let off a contented sigh and looked down at the empty bottle, which had strange label on it with words she didn't recognize. The label said Gatorade. 

"Felling better, Allielle?" Trunks asked. 

"Yes... but, how...did you...?" She pointed at the strange device which had saved her life. "W-W-What is that thing and...?" She looked back down at the plastic bottle. "What is this stuff? How...? What kind of magic is this?" 

Fujisawa let off a whoop of joy as he raced to the cooler and looked inside. He frowned as he saw that there were no alcoholic beverages. 

"Awwww... where's the beer and sake?!" 

Trunks shook his head. "Sorry sensei. You know I'm underage. There's bottled water, soda, sports drinks and fruit juices. Besides, you'd die of thirst faster if you drink alcohol out here and we might need your super-powers when we get to Arliman." 

The history teacher sighed and nodded as he took out a bottle of spring water and chugged it down. Trunks went over to the cooler and took out a shallow bowl and a white bottle. He walked to where Ura was, placed the bowl in front of her and poured the contents of the bottle into it. 

Ura was still tensed up and suspicious, but Trunks smiled at her and said, "Don't worry Ura. It's just milk. I know that you must thirsty, especially with that fur coat of yours." 

Trunks was right. Though Ura's body did conserve moisture more efficiently than Earth cats, she was feeling dehydrated at the moment, having nothing to drink since the journey through the desert had started. She looked up at her new and strange master and then, after a moment, edged to the bowl and took a tentative lick. The white liquid was smooth and ice-cold, which made Ura meow with glee as she started lapping it up. "Trunks good to Ura! Ura thirsty!" 

The half-Saiyan smiled as he stroked the cat's ears. He then addressed to his companions, "There's a few sandwiches and some leftover chicken in that refrigerator if you're... hungry?" His voice trailed off as he glanced over his shoulder and saw that his sensei was already on his third sandwich. 

---------- 

A bit later... 

"Ah, that was great!" Fujisawa said as he rubbed his belly. With their thirst appeased and something in their stomachs, the group continued on their journey with new energy. "Man! Am I glad that you brought those capsules with you to this world, Trunks!" 

"I'm glad too. I guess I'm really lucky that my mother owns the Capsule Corp." _In more ways than one_ Trunks added silently. Trunks had stored away his refrigerator back into its capsule form. The capsules had saved his friends and he didn't have to reveal that he could fly. They were now approaching what appeared to be an oasis. 

Walking beside them, Allielle had another bottle of Gatorade in one hand and was periodically taking a sip from it. In her other hand, she was studying one of the empty capsules. "So that's what you call these things? Capsules?" 

Trunks nodded as he took back the device and placed it in the carrying case. "Yes. On our world, we use them to store things. Their small size makes it easy for us to carry a lot of things or large objects. My mother owns the company that makes them." 

"So how do they work? Is it some kind of magic?" 

"Well, it's a little hard to explain, but I guess you could call it magic." 

"How much can one of these capsules hold? How big can an object be?" 

"Well, I'm not really sure. So far, my mother's been able to shrink a three-story building into one of these things and even a spaceship." 

At that moment, Allielle stopped and pointed excitedly at the oasis in the distance. "Look! That's it! That's the Spring of Arliman!" 

The trio and Ura stopped atop a sand dune and gazed at the sacred place where only the holy people travel to. It was about the size of a shopping mall complex and was filled with lush vegetation, such as palm trees, ferns and bushes. In the center was a large spring that was walled off to keep intruders and Peeping Toms out. Trunks and his party stood in awe that such a beautiful place was in the middle of such a harsh wilderness. They nodded to each other and quickly made their way toward the oasis. 

---------- 

At one of the large pools, a woman in her late twenties yawned as she stretched out her arms and sat up from one of the sunken areas. She then arched her back and thrust out her ample bosom as she stood up naked from the warm waters and waded to the edge of the pool to grasp a towel. Her light purple hair was done up in twin tails that started from a braid at the top of her head and went down the sides of her head, framing her face. Water dripped down her pale skin as she stepped out of the pool and went over to where her bath things were. She stood in front of her stool and let off an annoyed sound as she saw that it had been knocked onto its side. With one flick of her foot, she righted her perch and sat down on it. 

"That clumsy oaf." She muttered to her self as she placed the towel in her lap and clapped her hands. "Sansuke, attend me!" She called out. 

From out of a nearby servants' quarters, a large and furry mass of green and white fur stepped out with a vase in its hands. The creature looked like Cousin It from the Addams Family, but it had large, penguin-like feet. One could not make out its face as it was covered in fur and seemed to have some kind of large white eyebrow across its forehead. The creature that was named Sansuke waddled over to his mistress and nodded to her. 

"Your big feet knocked over my stool again!" The woman complained. 

Sansuke tried to grunt out an apology, but the Water Priestess named Miz Mishtal shook her head. "Oh never mind that now! Just get to work." 

Sansuke nodded as he set down the jug and dipped a fur-covered paw into it. It came out dripping wet with soapy water and the attendant rubbed both paws together to work up a good lather. He then applied his paws to his mistress' back with gentle motions. 

"Harder, Sansuke! Put some more back into it!" Miz commanded. 

Sansuke nodded as he increased the pressure. 

Miz sighed as he felt Sansuke's ministrations work away the tension. She then became lost in thought. _Keeping beautiful as an unpicked flower is so tedious! Where is my handsome Prince? What is keeping him? Those girls! Even Afra and Shayla have forgotten about me by now. When they get older, that'll wake them up!_

It was at that moment that Sansuke rinsed away the soap with a bowl of water... icy water that is. Miz, having spent a good hour soaking in heated waters, naturally screamed at the sudden drop in temperature. 

---------- 

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!" 

As soon as they heard the shout, both Fujisawa and Trunks began racing down the path toward Arliman. 

"Did you hear that? Someone's in trouble!" 

"Sensei! Hold up! We don't know what's behind that..." 

Too late, for without alcohol, an ordinary stone wall wasn't anywhere near enough to keep Fujisawa out. With one jump, he was already on the other side. 

"... wall." Trunks finished. He then heard his sensei cry out. Then he heard that woman scream out again. 

"FUJISAWA..." 

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!" 

"... MONSTER KICK!" 

**_WHAMMO!_**

Sansuke became the first giant hairball to be launched into the stratosphere. He soon came down into the trees on the other side of the hot springs. 

Fujisawa was now kneeling down with his back to the confused Miz and smiled as he spoke to her. "You are safe now. That beast will never bother you again, fair maiden." 

The Water Priestess was absolutely puzzled at the sudden appearance of this man and the unexpected rescue. However, as he stood up and faced her with his whimsical smile, Miz thought that this was a sign from the heavens. She had never been treated with such gallantry before, and though she had not been in any real danger, she still felt her heart beating at the heroic act. The least she could was to thank him. 

"Good sir. I am most.. grateful for your... timely rescue." _Hmmm, not bad-looking either._

Fujisawa smiled as he kept his eyes on her face and made certain not to look lower as Miz only had her towel in front of her unclad body. "It was my pleasure, er... Miss...?" 

"Oh yes! Miss!" Miz exclaimed as she dropped her towel and grasped both of his hands in her own. Having no serious relationship in her long and lonely career as a high Priestess of Muldoon, she immediately became attached to this man. 

"Uh, yes... well, I'm just doing a hero's job." Trunks' sensei stuttered out, trying to keep his eyes from straying. 

"And might I know the name of the big, strong man who saved me?" Miz asked coyly. 

"It's... Masamichi Fujisawa." 

"Such a long name. And your occupation, good sir?" 

Masamichi smiled as he proudly proclaimed his profession. "Teacher! Firmly established and highly respected at Shinnanome High School!" 

This got Miz extremely excited. "You're a government employee?" _Income!_ "You are my hero!" 

It was then that she noticed that they weren't alone, and quickly wrapped her towel around her. She then introduced herself to Allielle and a blushing Trunks. 

"I'm terribly sorry, that I have not properly introduced myself. I am Miz Mishtal, High Priestess of Muldoon." 

The three gasped in surprise as they had just found another who could help them unseal the Eye of God. 

---------- 

Jinnai became more impatient as he followed Queen Diva's entourage down a mountainous cavern. After being told of a powerful force as equally terrifying as the Eye of God, he wanted to waste no time in finding this Demon-God... Ifurita. However, the Bugrom Empress was insistent that he see something first. After following a long and winding tunnel, they came to a ledge that overlooked a vast area, which contained the devastated ruins of what was once a great city. 

"Incredible!" Jinnai cried out was he surveyed the result of some great and terrible force. 

Diva took a deep breath. "All this destruction, all this chaos; an entire civilization reduced to rubble in a heartbeat... all of this was caused by one, terrible weapon. And her name was... Ifurita." 

"Amazing!" Jinnai remarked as his dreams of conquest became even more grander with the thought of having such a weapon at his disposal. 

"Long ago, during the Great Holy War, Ifurita caused such unimaginable suffering and devastation that the Elders of El Hazard feared that nothing, not even the Eye of God could stop her. Even the mighty Bugrom Empire trembled in fear of her. The ancient texts say that he who controls the Power Key Staff of Ifurita becomes the master of the Demon-God. However, with such destructive power at her disposal, no one person can truly control her." 

"Well, I'm not just anybody!" Jinnai boasted. "Your Lord God Jinnai shall be the one to control Ifurita!" 

"What?!" Diva gasped as she sat up from the lounge chair that four of her minions carried on their shoulders. "Even after everything I've told you, you're still intent on awakening the Demon-God?!" 

"I not only dare, but I relish the prospect! With Ifurita, I shall make all of El Hazard tremble before me! WA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!" 

The laughter of Trunks' rival echoed throughout the cavern. In a way, the laughter was a signal of darker times ahead. 

---------- 

Arliman... 

"You know, this isn't quite what I expected." Trunks remarked as he and his group walked with Miz, who was now wearing a robe. "This looks more like a hot springs resort than a holy place." 

Miz laughed a bit. "I suppose to the uninitiated, it would appear to be like that. But Arliman is the one, the only respite to our work. The only time in our busy schedules that we are given a chance to relax." 

As Trunks continued to survey the area, discretely averting his eyes from the numerous, nude women that were either soaking in the springs or sunbathing around them, his history teacher spotted a nearby fountain and went over to it. He reached into his pocket and tossed a coin into it. He ten placed his palms together and prayed. 

"Dear God. Please get us back home safe and sound. Oh, and if you have some extra time, could you please fill out the teacher's absence request form?" 

"Sensei! Come on!" Trunks called out. Fujisawa nodded and rejoined the group as they approached the other end of the springs. It was then that they stopped as two familiar figures were seen, with armloads of packages, coming up the pathway. 

Miz frowned as she called out to Shayla and Afra. "Well it's about time you two got here!" 

The two priestesses looked up and were surprised to see their colleague. "Hey Miz! Why are you here so early?" 

"An forgivable breach of conduct!" Miz proclaimed, not even caring for any excuse Shayla and Afra had for being so late. 

"I'll say! Can you imagine the bargains we got at the barrage?" 

Afra nodded as she too smiled. "Can you believe it? Returning things the day after a holiday!" 

"You two are a disgrace!" Miz said as she continued to berate her sister Priestesses. "What if the devoted were to show up while you were out shopping?" 

"Oh lighten up Miz...huh?" Shayla looked over past Miz and noticed the people standing behind her. "You guys again?!" 

Trunks could only laugh sheepishly as he waved to the dark-skinned Shayla-Shayla. "Hello again." 

Allielle found herself feeling herself getting warm again, and it wasn't because of the heat. She smiled warmly as she gazed on the exotic-looking Fire Priestess. 

---------- 

"Ahhhh, I can feel the tension melt away." Afra sighed as she sunk deeper into the pool. 

Shayla nodded as she too lounged in the heated waters. "Oh yeah..." 

Sitting between them, Allielle trembled with delight. "Ooh, I can't believe that I'm actually bathing with a Priestess of Muldoon!" She sidled up to Shayla and took her arm seductively. She then snuggled close to the redhead, much to her discomfort. 

"Hey! Watch it! Let go of my arm! Whoa! That's even worse!" Shayla became extremely agitated as Allielle's hands roamed over places that were considered off limits to the priestess. 

Sitting near the edge, Miz poured Fujisawa another glass of wine as Trunks sat nearby, obviously in great discomfort. 

"I'm terribly sorry about the blindfold." Miz said as she held the pitcher. 

Trunk's sensei nodded as his vision was blocked by a white band. "I understand perfectly, since I'm... the only man here." 

Trunks winced at his words. Though he did know about the 'facts of life,' and all of that, he didn't have any real experience with girls. He had kept the girls at school at bay, for fear of hurting anyone with his Saiyan strength. Now he was surrounded by dozens of beautiful, naked women and in a very hot robe. It was all he could do not to faint from the heat. 

"Er... excuse me, but there's something very important that we have to ask you." Trunks began, while keeping his eyes averted. "We need you to... unseal the Eye of..." 

"Delicious boxed lunches here! Delicious and nutritious! Get 'em here!" 

Both Trunks and his sensei turned their heads at the sound of the voice and Trunks became pale as he saw who the person was. 

_She got transported here too?!_

Allielle momentarily stopped in her attempts to get closer with Shayla. "Lunch! Oh, I just realized that I haven't eaten in hours after we got out of that desert." 

"Lunch sounds good." Afra agreed. 

Miz nodded as she called out to the girl. "Lunch Girl! Over here!" 

---------- 

Nanami saw the woman wave to her and walked over to where she and her party were situated. "Hello! Are we hungry? Good!" 

Allielle then noticed how fine-looking the new girl was and licked her lips. 

Katsuhiko's sister knelt down and placed her serving tray on the ground. "I have some very nice selections for you today and..." It was at that moment that she saw a very familiar face... 

Trunks quickly turned her back to her and tried to hide his face from sight, but it wasn't enough. 

"Trunks...?" 

_Oh boy._

"Trunks, is that you?" Nanami let off a gasp as she dropped her tray and ran over to him. "TRUNKS! IT IS YOU! I'M SO HAPPY!" 

"No! Wait! You've made a big mistake!" The half-Saiyan tried to move away, but Nanami already had her arms wrapped around him and was sobbing hysterically. 

"Oh Trunks! I'm so glad to see a familiar face!" Nanami exclaimed as she began speaking quickly and hugged him even tighter. "You have no idea what I had to go through when I came to this place! I had to get a job as a waitress and saved enough money to start my own business! And... some guys... grabbed my butt!" 

"Look! I'm not who you think I ..." 

Nanami then broke from her embrace and sat back with a puzzled look. "Say Trunks. When did you become a drag queen?" 

Trunks winced as he tried to explain, but all he could manage was, "Uhhhh..." 

"This place is weird, but it's not THAT weird." Nanami commented. She then glanced over her shoulder and saw another familiar face. "Mr. Fujisawa! You're here too, sensei? Oh this is wonderful!" 

Their sensei gulped as he too was at a loss of what to say in this situation. 

"What's going on?" Miz asked. 

"This girl seems to think that Princess Fatora is someone else." Afra remarked. 

"Yeah, I guess it's heat exhaustion." Trunks laughed nervously. 

At that point, Shayla-Shayla reached out to tap Trunks on the arm. "Hey Princess." 

Both Nanami and Trunks turned to face her. 

"Are you going to get into this bath or aren't you?" 

Trunks could only smile nervously and replied. "No, I don't think so." 

"Are you saying that you have a reason for refusing my invitation?" The fire priestess asked with suspicion. 

"Hold on. I think I can come up with a good one." 

"If you don't have a reason, then I suggest that you get in the water, Princess." Shayla then came out halfway and grasped one of his arms. 

"Er, sister Shayla, I don't think you should do that." Allielle said nervously. 

"And why not?" 

"Sort of because it's like deja vu?" 

At that point, Allielle gabbed hold of Trunks' other arm. "Now wait just a minute! Maybe I can get used to your cross-dressing, Trunks, but there's no way that I'm going to let you go in there with her!" 

Shayla glared at Nanami. "Take a hike, lunch-chick!" 

"Get back into the water, honey!" Nanami retorted as she returned the glare. 

At that moment, they began a tug-of-war with Trunks as the rope. 

"Get in the water, Princess!" 

"You're staying right here, Trunks!" 

"Mr. Fujisawa! I need help!" 

The history teacher stood up as he heard his student's cry. "Danger!" He began running forward, but with his eyes blindfolded, he didn't get very far. He immediately tripped over a bar of soap and fell flat on his back. Plus, with all the wine he had been consuming, his super-strength was all but nonexistent. 

Trunks' strength however, was not only intact, it was far greater than his sensei's or any other Earthling's. As he saw that his robes were starting to tear from the constant pulling, he started to become desperate. He had to stop this before his cover was blown. 

"I said, get in the water!" Shayla couldn't understand it. She was pulling as hard as she could, but it seemed that the Princess was stronger than she appeared, for Fatora wasn't budging an inch. As the hot-tempered redhead pulled even harder with both hands, she felt some very rock-hard muscle in Fatora's wrist. She assumed that the Princess must work out, especially after seeing her swing that sword on Mount Muldoon. 

When Trunks heard his sleeve was about to tear off his arm, he panicked and... reacted. 

"I SAID NO AND I MEAN NO!" Trunks then hauled back on his arm. 

"WHOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAA!" Shayla was sent flying out of the spring and hurtled toward the distant outer wall. At the speed she was going, she would slam into the wall like a truck going at 60 mph. 

"Damn!" Trunks swore as he had to stop Shayla from being splattered. In that instant, he blurred from view. At that moment, the half of the robe that Nanami still held onto tore free. And unfortunately for Trunks, another part of his disguise came off. He had not tied down his wig at the time, As he sped to save Shayla, it fell off and drifted to the ground. 

The Fire Priestess only saw the wall for an instant and shut her eyes as she braced for impact. However, just before she hit the wall, she felt a rush of wind and a pair of strong hands gabbed hold of her as her body's momentum suddenly shifted and she found herself changing direction and slowing down. Then she suddenly stopped. 

The others were in a state of shock after seeing Trunks seemingly disappear from sight, reappear in front of the wall to catch Shayla before she hit it, then blur back to almost the same place where she started. However, they continued to stare at 'Princess Fatora' for another reason entirely. The top half of his robes had been torn completely off and that they were now staring at his muscular chest. The rest of the dress had fallen off with his wig when he sped to save Shayla, leaving him only in his muscle shirt, boxers and sandals. 

It was at that moment that Shayla-Shayla opened her eyes and looked up at the face of the person who had saved her. 

That was when things got ugly... 

---------- 

"YOU PERVERT!" 

**_BWOOOM!_**

The other women at Arliman began running for their lives as a maddened Fire Priestess began shooting out scorching gouts of flame to barbeque Trunks. However, the half-Saiyan proved to be too fast for her as he blurred in and out, easily evading the attacks. He restrained from retaliating with his own energy blasts as he tried to clear up this misunderstanding. He knew that despite Shayla's intense fire powers, she wouldn't be able to survive one of his blasts. Furthermore, this place was too crowded and someone may get hurt in the exchange. 

"Would you just please calm down and listen to..." 

"DIE, YOU PEEPING TOM!" Shayla roared as she let loose with another inferno blast. More property damage was done as a huge trench was dug through to the other side of the Springs. 

"Shayla! Stop it now!" Miz cried out as she saw more and more people become endangered. However, the Fire Priestess paid no heed as she continued to pursue Trunks, intent on frying him into a cinder. 

Nanami and the others dove for cover as Shayla continued on her maddened rampage. After dodging a few more of her attacks, Trunks decided that enough was enough. When he came to a dead end pathway, he turned around and faced Shayla as she rounded the corner. 

The hot-headed priestess smiled as she reared back an arm to throw a huge fireball. "HAH! I GOT YOU NOW YOU... " 

**_WHOMP!_**

Shayla gasped as she felt something slam into her gut like a freight train. At the same time, she saw Trunks' face in front of hers as their eyes met. In less than a heartbeat, he had covered the distance between them and drove his elbow into her abdomen. Fortunately for her, he had only delivered enough force to do the job. 

"Sorry. I saw an opening that screamed for me to attack... so I did. Nothing personal." 

Shayla then slumped down to her knees, clutching at her stomach and still gasping for air as Trunks stepped back. The young Saiyan hated to do that, but that was the only thing he could think of at the time, to get her to stop before some innocent bystander got hurt or killed. 

The others stepped out from behind the rubble and cautiously approached the two. 

Trunks sighed as he looked them and nodded to both Afra and Miz. 

"Hi. My name is Trunks. Sorry about all this." 

---------- 

"What were you thinking, Shayla? You could have killed someone!" Miz scolded as she and the other women were now dressed in towels and standing with Fujisawa and Allielle in an undamaged area of Arliman. She gestured with a hand at all the property damage that the hot-tempered redhead had caused. 

Nearby, Trunks was bending over a fountain, washing out the brown dye in his hair. He had decided that since his Fatora disguise was ruined, there was no need for him to keep his false hair color and makeup. He also had on his boots and black pants. His sword lay in its scabbard beside him and his jacket was hanging over the rim of the fountain. 

"Hey! Don't blame me! Blame Mr. Fashion Statement over there!" Shayla-Shayla shouted while pointing at him. She still saw in her mind the image of herself naked in his muscular arms, which made her blush. She still wanted to fry Trunks, but her sister Priestesses forbade her from any more violence. 

"You should have told us right from the start that he was standing in for the missing Princess Fatora." Afra remarked to Fujisawa as she leaned against a tree with her arms crossed. Fujisawa had explained the situation to the others and about their mission to get the Eye of God unsealed. 

"Hmpf! He probably enjoyed watching us naked in the spring, the little weasel!" Shayla sent another angry glare at Trunks as he stood up and shook his head to dry his hair. She couldn't help but notice how well-formed he was, along with several other girls in the area. The Priestess angrily dismissed that thought from her mind as Trunks picked up his jacket and slung it over his right shoulder while carrying his sword in his other hand. 

Trunks had heard Shayla's comments about him and he wasn't all happy. It had been bad enough that he had been going around dressed as a girl. "Listen here. We would have told you about the disguise on Mount Muldoon, but you and Priestess Afra had left us before we had a chance to explain. Then we had to trek through twenty miles of desert to get here. I couldn't tell you that I was a guy with all those other people around, but I did try not to look. If you hadn't tried to drag me into the water, we wouldn't have gone through all that!" He gestured with a thumb to the devastation behind him. "So don't go blaming me for this mess. I didn't want to agree to dressing up like a girl, but it was the only thing I could do. We had to see you in order to unseal the Eye of God so that we could end the war and get back to our world." 

Shayla-Shayla's glare became even more intense as she began to glow with a red aura. Trunks was unimpressed as his hand clenched his sword even tighter. He was just about to light up his own aura, (which would have dwarfed Shayla's by a billion times), when Miz gave her sister priestess an annoyed ahem. She powered down but very reluctantly, keeping an angry look trained on Trunks. 

"Well, now that you've explained to us the purpose of your mission, we can understand the gravity of the situation." Miz said as she tended to the scratches that Fujisawa had received during the melee. 

"Yes, but I'm afraid that we can't grant your request to unseal the Eye of God, even though you have come to us on Princess Rune's behalf." Afra added. 

"Huh? Why not?" Trunks asked. 

"For one thing, the legend says that the Eye of God needs two princesses, not a queen." Shayla quipped. 

"Will you knock it off with that queen crack?" Trunks growled. 

"Hmpf! Well you can count me out!" Shayla said to Miz and Afra. 

Miz sighed as she explained another factor to Mr. Fujisawa. "Another thing is that all three Priestesses must be in agreement to unseal the Eye of God. We can only release the locks on the weapon only in the most special of circumstances due to its enormous power." 

"Please sister Shayla?" Allielle pleaded as she cuddled up to the redhead again. 

"Hey! Cut that out! They're all weird!" 

Trunks sighed as he saw that things were not going as he hoped. It was then that he noticed another person approaching them. He swallowed hard as he saw the woman. She had long blonde hair, a voluptuous figure with a more than ample bosom, and was wearing an outfit that accentuated her curves to the point that he was feeling his body heat up. 

Trunks gave a low whistle, which made Nanami frown in jealousy. Fujisawa also ogled her, which also made Miz very upset. 

"Would you stop staring!" Nanami said as she pulled on Trunk's cheek, snapping him out of his trance. "Maybe Shayla was right! You've turned into some sex-crazed deviant, haven't you?!" 

"Hey! Excuse ME for being human!" _Well, half-human anyway. I wonder if this is how Dad must have felt with Mom? Wait minute... I'm sensing something from her._

They both looked up at the stranger as she smiled at Trunks and extended a hand to him. To Trunks and everyone else, it looked as if some seductress was trying to get close to the half-Saiyan, but to Nanami's eyes, she was seeing something completely different. To her, it was a blue-skinned, dark-haired woman pointing a wicked-looking knife at him. 

"Uh, what's that for?" 

The woman was startled for a moment, then composed herself. "Oh this? It's for your boyfriend." 

This made Nanami extremely embarrassed as she had yet to make the first move with Trunks. "Er, well he's not really my boyfriend and if he really wants to see other people, it's... all right with me. If he started a very nice, blue-skinned girl like you, I wouldn't mind." 

This made everyone tense when they heard this. 

"Are you certain that she has blue skin?" 

"Yeah... can't you see that?" 

Shayla immediately raced toward her with her flames blazing. "You little Phantom bitch!" 

Kiria leapt out of the way as the flames lanced at her and raced toward Trunks to kill him. However, Ura proved to be faster as she sped past her and wrapped herself around Trunks' body before hardening her skin to the consistency of steel. The knife was deflected as she used her hind legs to push Kiria away. 

Trunks smiled down at his feline friend. "Thanks Ura." He hadn't seen the knife, but it wouldn't have made any difference. Along with his super physical abilities and ki-powers, he had also inherited the ultra-tough Saiyan skin from his father. The blade wouldn't have done more than scrape a few epithelial cells. 

Shayla attacked again, but Kiria evaded and tried once more to fulfill her mission. However, dying was NOT going to be on Trunks' agenda for a very long time. 

"YOU WILL DIE!" At this point, she had dropped her illusion and everyone could now see her as she truly was. 

"Not!" Trunks commented as he causally swatted Kiria like an annoying fly. At that moment, Miz began focusing her will through the Lamp of Water, which was a bejeweled ring on her right third finger. She then sent a column of water at the Phantom assassin as she flew backward. The water lance pierced through her chest and Kiria let off a death scream as her body faded away, leaving only a faint mist of powder that blew away in the breeze. Her knife clattered to the ground. 

Shayla's eyes narrowed as she went over and picked up the weapon. "Nice little parting gift that Phantom tribeswoman left us." She remarked. 

"What I don't understand is why she was here to kill Trunks and how you were able to see through her disguise." Afra asked as she turned to Nanami. 

"You mean, you didn't see the knife or that she had blue skin?" 

Afra shook her head. "No. None of us could." 

Miz nodded. "Somehow, you have an ability to see through the illusion she cast. She was a member of the Phantom tribe, a race that live deep in the caverns of El Hazard. They are our most ancient of enemies." 

At that moment, a servant rushed toward the group and knelt down in front of them "Your Holiness! I bring terrible news!" 

"What is it?" Miz asked. 

The servant took a deep breath. "The city of Pernon has fallen and reports say that the Bugrom forces are on their way to the Forbidden Island!" 

"What?! It can't be!" Miz exclaimed. 

"The legend..." Afra breathed out in shock. 

"Are you sure that it isn't some mistake?" Shayla demanded. 

The servant shook her head sadly. 

---------- 

Off the coast, in the Burgom territory, Jinnai set sail with hordes of Bugrom as Queen Diva waved them off. She was still curious as to how her new general would be able to find the Forbidden Island. Only the three Priestesses of Muldoon knew of its exact location. 

Jinnai however was not worried. He had a plan to obtain the weapon known as Ifurita and this time, no one would be able to get in his way. Not even that irritating Trunks! 

His mad laughter was carried over the waves as dark storm clouds brewed overhead. 

---------- 

"I don't get it! Where are we going and what's so important about this Forbidden Island?" Trunks asked as he, his group and the three Priestesses raced across the waters on their cruiser. 

"Just shut up and enjoy the ride!" Shayla-Shayla replied as she gritted her teeth and gazed over the horizon. 

---------- 

The palace of Florastika... 

Princess Rune gazed out from the balcony of the room and became very worried at the dark cloud formations that were in the distance. She then recited the prophesy to herself. 

"When the Eye of God blinks, the path to the sky will open... and the shadow nation will become one..." She then looked back at a nearby mural which depicted the Eye of God and a scene of a great battle during the Holy Wars. Up near the top was a depiction of the Demon-God that was battling against some heroic figure in gold. 

"... and the Golden Champion shall return... to save us all." 

---------- 

On Earth... 

Bulma smiled as she closed up the last of the new Dragon Ball Scouters. The work was done and all she had to do was wait until the Dragon Balls would once again come to life. With Vegita and the others helping, they would collect all seven balls in no time and Sheng Long would return her son to her. She couldn't wait. 

End of the Third Night. 

Author's Notes 

Well, the story is now almost halfway done and Trunks will become more heavily involved as the war begins to heat up. Next on Dragon Ball Hazard, Trunks will face his most awesome challenge of his young life as he goes up against the Demon-God Ifurita, who happens to look very familiar. Stay tuned for Dragon Ball Hazard, the Fourth Night: Trunks Vs Ifurita! Place Your Bets! 


	4. The Fourth Night - Trunks Vs. Ifurita! P...

**Dragon Ball Hazard**

by 

Hung (Animeaddiction) Nguyen 

Disclaimer: Why do I even bother to disclaim? The readers know that I'm not making any money from writing this. 

: Thoughts 

**The Fourth Night **

Trunks Vs. Ifurita! Place Your Bets! 

As the dark clouds over the sea continued to gather above the waters, a thick mist rolled out and blanketed the surface of the waves. Obscured from sight, the Forbidden Island; where the Demon-God Ifurita slumbered, awaited for its first visitors in countless centuries. 

"The Forbidden Island... the place where the terrible Demon-God Ifurita had been sealed away during the times of the Holy Wars. Its location is known only to the Great Priestesses of Mount Muldoon. Only we three... we three alone know of where the horror slumbers." 

Shayla-Shayla gazed toward the horizon as she stood stoically at the bow of the cruiser. "How could the Bugrom have known where the Forbidden Island is?" 

"Enough with the stupid monologue, Shayla. No one knows the answer to that." Afra remarked as she took a sip of tea. "You're certainly not smart enough to figure that out." 

This got the Fire Priestess' temper to steaming as she turned around and glared at her colleague. "Oh is that it? Are you calling me stupid? Why don't you call me stupid to my face?" The jewel on her headband flared. 

"Why don't you calm down until we get there? It isn't going to do us much good if you get mad now. You might set the ship on fire." Trunks commented as he once again thought that this trip was taking too long. Though he was not required to wear his Fatora disguise at the moment, he was still restricted from using his full powers because of his companions. For now, he would have to rely only on his strength, speed, martial arts skills and the sword that was now strapped to his back. Powers such as flying, ki blasts and especially transforming into a Super-Saiyan, were not to be used unless there was no other way. 

Shayla then glared at Trunks with her temper now starting to boil. "Oh? Is that it? Do you think that I'm stupid too?" 

Trunks returned her glare and restrained himself from shutting her up the same way as he did to that bully when he was eight. "No. I didn't say that you were stupid. But getting mad isn't exactly the smartest thing right now." 

"What would you know you cross-dressing pervert!" 

Trunks took a deep breath before giving Shayla a glare that would have melted steel. "Listen here! I've had just about enough of the pervert cracks! My name is not pervert, freak, weasel or QUEEN! It's Trunks!" The young Saiyan was just about ready to draw his sword and run the redhead through when Miz broke the tension. 

"Will both of you stop fighting?! We've got more important things to worry about! Don't you realize that the awakening of Ifurita could mean the end of El Hazard?" She then gave a wink and blew a kiss at Mr. Fujisawa, who was currently imbibing a cup of wine. 

The history teacher could only shrug as he agreed. "Yes... it's getting serious." 

Shayla then turned her back to Trunks in a huff, while the teen decided to sit down beside Nanami, who happened to be playing with Ura. 

"Say Miss Afra, I was wondering about something." Nanami said. 

"Yes?" 

"Remember how Mr. Fujisawa gained his super-powers when he came here? Do you think I got a special power to see through the illusions of the Phantom Tribe?" 

"Yes, I think you may be right." 

Nanami became excited as she gushed about her new ability. "Did you hear that? I'm a super-girl!" She then glanced at Trunks. "So what exactly is your super-ability? Was that thing you did at Arliman some kind of super-speed?" 

Shayla became very uncomfortable at the memory of herself being held naked in his arms. Though she did think back to that time on Mount Muldoon and how Trunks had dispatched those Bugrom. 

"Er... well..." Trunks stammered as he attempted to respond. Fortunately, Mr. Fujisawa inadvertently covered for him. 

"Trunks got super-strength like I did, but I guess that whatever made us both stronger also made him faster. It may be because he doesn't drink." 

"Speaking of which, I think you've had enough, sensei." Trunks said as he gestured to the bottle of wine. 

"He's right. We'll need both of you and your super-powers." Allielle agreed. "You'd better stop drinking Mr. Teacher." 

Fujisawa groaned after downing his final cup and put it aside. "It's not as easy as you'd think." 

---------- 

Some time before Turnks' group had set out... 

Gallus nodded after being informed of Kiria's failure and death. "Nahato, come forth." 

"Yes, my lord." From out of the shadows, a small Phantom Boy appeared to kneel in front of his ruler's throne. 

"I have been told that Kiria is now gone and that the Bugrom are in search of the Demon-God Ifurita." 

Nahato nodded. "Yes, but since they are just bugs, I imagine that they will fail." 

"Indeed. " Gallus agreed as he stood up and walked toward his servant. "However, it might be in our best interests if the Bugrom were to succeed... with a little unseen help." 

The boy nodded as Gallus held his cheek in his hand. 

"Such a good child." Gallus commented as he leaned toward Nahato's face. 

---------- 

The cruiser arrived at the Forbidden Island in the late afternoon. As the priestesses, Trunks, Namai, Fujisawa and Allielle disembarked, they all looked around the area for any sign of the Bugrom. However, it seemed that the information about the giant insects coming to the island was false as there was not a soul around the dark and foreboding landscape. 

"All right, so where are they?" Afra asked as she surveyed the place. 

"Hmpf! Looks like we came here for nothing! There's no Bugrom here!" Shayla remarked. 

Trunks' battle senses were on the alert as he scanned for any sign of his rival Jinnai, for Nanami's brother was now allied with the Bugrom. Though Jinnai and those Bugrom had very low power level ratings, the half-Saiyan was certain that he could sense a whole army of them, if he focused hard with his ability to detect the energy levels of others. However, he had to make certain. He then decided to use another device that he had brought with him from Earth besides his supply of capsules. He took out the capsule which contained his duffel bag and pressed the top of it. 

The three Priestesses noticed it and Afra asked, "What is that thing that Trunks has in his hand?" 

Allielle nodded as she recognized it. "Oh! It's another one of those wonderful capsules!" 

"Capsules?" Miz asked. 

Allielle nodded as she explained. "It's from that Earth place that they come from. They're some kind of magical devices that let them carry a lot of things or large items easily." 

Nanami nodded as she added., "Oh! That's right! I forgot that Trunks' family owns the Capsule Corp." 

The Saiyan tossed the capsule off to one side. 

**_BOM!_**

In a puff of smoke, the capsule exploded and released its cargo, causing the three Priestess to gasp in amazement. Trunks kneeled down and unzipped his duffle bag. He then took out a small device and fitted it over his right ear. A small glass window swung over his eye as he pressed the side button, activating the device. 

"Trunks, what is that thing?" Nanami asked. 

Trunks shrugged as he answered without even thinking. "It's one of my Dad's old Scouters. He picked up a few when he went out in space to look for Goku. It'll let me scope out this entire island and..." He suddenly stopped as he turned to face a high ridge. A readout flashed on the visuals. "There! The Bugrom are over there!" 

As if on cue, some maniacal laughter was heard as a huge, winged ship appeared from behind the ridge. The craft looked like some gigantic cockroach and flew on wasp-like wings that flapped furiously to keep it aloft. On its deck was Jinnai and his six Bugrom cronies, Groucho, Harpo, Cheeko, Zeppo, Gummo and Margaret. 

"HA HA HA HA HA HA! My, my, what a wonderful guided tour!" 

Trunks gritted his teeth as his body tensed up while placing one hand on the hilt of his sword. 

"What are you talking about? What guided tour?!" Shayla demanded. 

Jinnai sneered at the group while answering in a sarcastic and pompous tone. "Oh, and I thought that it was common knowledge that only the Priestesses of Mount Muldoon knew the whereabouts of the Forbidden Island. It was a simple matter to leak out rumors that we knew where it was. Then all I had to do was to let my network of spies keep a close watch on you. You swallowed the bait and we just followed your little tugboat to this place." 

"Dear god! What have we done?!" Afra gasped. 

At this point, Groucho slammed a fist into his palm in comprehension, which made Jinnai very upset. 

"What?! You mean you just NOW got the plan?!" 

Nanami could feel nothing but disgust for her sibling. "I guess it figures that my brother would be nothing but a rat, no matter what world he's on!" 

Jinnai turned in surprise and saw his sister. "Nanami? What the...? Hey, aren't you supposed to be in school?" 

"I always knew that you were a liar, a cheat and a snitch, but this time you've gone too far! You're acting like some kind of crazy, weirdo freak!" 

"CRAZY WEIRDO FREAK?! YOU TAKE THAT BACK!" 

"I will not! Only a crazy weirdo freak with no friends would hang out with a bunch of icky bugs!" 

At this point, Miz asked a question. "You know, what puzzles me is how they were ever able to communicate in the first place." 

"I think I know." Allielle replied. "He came from Earth like the rest of them. Maybe the power he gained was the ability to speak with the Bugrom." 

"Yeah, it figures that if my brother were to get any ability, it would be something as gross as that." 

Shayla growled as she began powering up. "Even though you've found this place, that still doesn't mean that you've won!" 

Jinnai gave off another laugh. "On the contrary, I am just minutes away from becoming the supreme ruler of El Hazard! Once I command the power of the Demon-God Ifurita, then nothing will be able to stop me!" He then chuckled as he gazed at Trunks. "Not even my eternal rival, Trunks!" 

Trunks gave Jinnai a glare as he drew his sword. "I thought that you were just some third-rate jerk with plans of grandeur, but now you've totally lost it, Jinnai. I didn't want to hurt you, but it looks like I'm going to have POUND some sense into you." 

"You think that little sword is a match for my Bugrom forces?" 

"It did pretty well on Mount Muldoon." 

"Not this time! This time I WILL WIN!" 

"Yeah? You and WHAT ARMY?" 

"Funny you should ask that. Behold!" The power-mad high school student gestured with a wave of his arm at the sea behind them. The group gasped in shock as they saw five, large ships laden with Bugrom fast approaching the island. "You and those harpies are the main reason why I invited the entire Bugrom Marine Corps. WA HA HA HA HA HA HA!" 

At this point, Trunks' rage hit the boiling point. All he had wanted was to go home, and this jerk just kept on annoying him like an irritating roach, no matter how many times he stomped him. Jinnai still called him his eternal rival, even though Trunks wanted nothing to do with him. Nanami's brother was like Mr. Satan; always shooting off his mouth. Just when he thought he had seen the last of him, Jinnai would pop up and cause him more headaches. Now he was going to try and release a terrible weapon and force his will over everyone, just as he did with the students of Shinnanome High. 

_That's it! I've had it! I don't CARE anymore! I'm going to shut Jinnai's mouth once and for all! I'm going to kick his butt into another dimension!_

Jinnai continued to laugh hysterically as he jeered at his helpless rival. "I've got you now, Trunks! There's no escape and there's not a THING you can do about it!" 

"Wrong." Trunks growled as he sheathed his sword. 

Jinnai continued to laugh. "So are you giving up Trunks? I would say that would be the wisest strategy. At last you see that you are no match for me and are ready to bow down to my superiority!" 

Trunks' gaze never left Jinnai's as he took a wide-legged stance. "Jinnai, you may think that you're some conquering general, but you made one serious mistake!" 

"Oh, and what might that be?" Katushiko taunted. 

"As my father had taught me, in any battle, you should always know your enemy. You've made some big assumptions about me. Very wrong assumptions. Now I'm going to let you in on a little secret." The others could only watch as Trunks tensed up. 

"You're about to find out what it's like when a Saiyan gets really ticked off!" 

At that instant, Trunks' aura exploded like a miniature supernova, nearly blinding all those present. He didn't transform into a Super-Saiyan, but the power he began radiating made the nearby ground shake and small rocks floated up as his energy poured out. Soon the entire island was rocking and rolling, making even the surrounding waters vibrate and ripple. Large waves radiated out, making the Burgom ships rock about like plastic tub toys. 

The Three Priestesses could only back away in awe at the sight. The power he was emitting made their own seem trifling. Shayla-Shayla was especially impressed as she stared at him with new respect and something else as well. 

Nanami gasped in absolute shock. This was the same quiet and gentle Trunks that she saw at school every day? Mr. Fujisawa couldn't believe what he was seeing and was certain that he was drunk. 

However, this was no alcohol-induced vision. The Scouter that Trunks was wearing started registering his power level as it continued to rise. Thirty thousand... forty thousand... sixty thousand... eighty thousand... one hundred seventeen thousand... one hundred forty thousand... one hundred sixty-three thousand... At this point, Trunks could take on the entire Ginyu Force without breaking a sweat, if they were still alive today. Though he had not been training as hard as his father lately, he had enough power to destroy a city without trying or reduce mountains into mole hills. When he transformed into a Super-Saiyan, Trunks became a walking nuclear war. 

Jinnai shook with fear and disbelief as he pointed at his rival. "H-H-How are you doing that?! What the HELL are you?!" 

Trunks grinned as he continued to let his power level rise. "Actually, I'm just getting warmed up!" 

All the others gasped in shock. Trunks was just getting warmed up?! 

Soon, the Scouter was blinking its warning lights, saying that it was about to overload. When it read his power level had reached two hundred and fifty thousand, the son of Vegita relented and let his energy level off and drop. The ground shuddered to a halt and rocks dropped, as the island settled back down. 

Jinnai was still trembling as he stuttered. "W-W-W-Who... what the HELL kind of monster are you?!" 

Trunks snorted as he replied. "Monster? I'm no monster. The monster here is you, Jinnai. You were a monster back at school and you became an even bigger monster when you came to El Hazard! Well, I'm going to put an end to your schemes and evil, once and for all!" 

There was another collective gasp as Trunks suddenly rocketed up into the sky and stopped to hover high above the island. He turned to see the Bugrom Navy coming closer to the island and cupped his hands together while bringing them down to one side of his waist. 

Nanami and the others stared in amazement. Not one of them could believe it. 

"What the...? Trunks can fly too?!" Jinnai's sister became even more impressed. 

"How is he doing that?!" Afra couldn't understand how a person could be held aloft without any support. She had not sensed any manipulation of the wind which usually carried her into the air. 

Up above, Trunks focused his energy as he decided to use his friend Goten's attack. He had learned it during their childhood sparring. Down below, the three Priestesses and the others could hear Trunk's voice as he called out the technique. 

"KAME... HAME... HA!" 

He thrust out his palms and let loose with a massive blue-white beam of energy that lit up the darkening sky and lanced down toward the Bugrom armada. All five ships and their crews went up in a huge explosion and a column of water when the attack struck home. The aftershocks of the impact went out for miles around and those on the island were knocked off their feet. 

"Whoa!" Shayla-Shayla exclaimed as she saw what was left of the Bugrom fleet. "Afra! He just made your Big Sucker Gas Slash look like nothing!" 

"I hate that name! It's my move! I want to name it!" 

Trunks nodded as he flew back down to land in front of a now terrified Jinnai and his Bugrom followers. 

Trunks pointed a finger at him. "Like I said before Jinnai, you and WHAT army?" 

Jinnai felt as if he was about to have a heart attack. "W-W-Who are you?! WHAT ARE YOU?!" 

Trunks took a deep breath, then proudly said, "I am Trunks... Son of Vegita... Prince of all Saiyans! And I'm your worst nightmare!" 

"Saiyans?" Nanami repeated with confusion. 

"He's a... prince?" Shayla-Shayla gasped. That pervert was royalty? 

"Trunks much better than Fatora!" Ura cried out. 

Trunks then held up a hand with palm facing upward. He focused his energy and a large, flat circle of light appeared above it. He then hurled it at the craft Jinnai was standing on. 

"DESTRUCTO DISC!" 

The deadly attack that had been created by Krillin lanced toward the huge Bugrom craft and sliced it into two halves. The top half went flying off, while the bottom half came crashing to the ground. This caused Jinnai and the Bugrom to tumble down to the ground. The now panicked Bugrom general hopped onto Groucho's back and ordered him to make a run for the shrine where the Demon-God slept. He desperately hoped that Ifurita was as powerful as the legends said. Hopefully she was more powerful than Trunks. If not, then Jinnai's ambition to become the ruler of El Hazard would come to a crashing halt. 

"Soldiers! Attack!" Jinnai cried out as he and his entourage made a strategic withdrawal to find the Demon-God. In other words, they ran for their lives! 

Trunks was about to blur after them, when hordes of Bugrom suddenly popped out from behind rock formations and blocked his path. Apparently, Jinnai had already landed several dozens of platoons and some had managed to swim toward the island after their ships had been blown up. They began converging on the Saiyan, hoping to overwhelm him by sheer numbers. However, they would only buy Jinnai few minutes at the most against an enraged Saiyan who wasn't holding back any more. 

"Nice odds." Trunks commented. "Let me even things out!" He then held up both arms and crossed them in front of his face while focusing his power. 

Nanami and the others had thought they had seen it all after seeing Trunks annihilate five ships and slice a Bugrom transport in half, but they were shocked anew as the half-Saiyan suddenly made two copies of himself, using Tien's Multi-Form Technique. Apparently, he had learned more than just the Solar Flare from the three-eyed warrior. 

"What the...?!" Shayla gasped. Her sister priestesses were too stunned to even speak. 

"I must have drank too much, 'cause I'm seeing triple!" Fujisawa exclaimed. 

The three Trunks burst into action as they drew their swords and charged at their foes. Each Trunks started blurring in and out of the ranks of the Bugrom, slicing the giant insects to ribbons as they cut a path toward the shrine of the Demon-God. 

At this point, the Priestesses found themselves feeling left out as the Saiyan warrior systematically whittled down the enemy. This feeling didn't last long as more Bugrom appeared from the other side and started attacking them. Shalya instantly had her Lamp of Fire drawn and powered up, releasing white-hot streams of flames at her at her attackers. Afra clicked the Lamp of Wind onto her belt and stirred up gusts of air around her. She then released a blast of high-pressure air at her foes, knocking them down like tenpins. Miz kissed the ring on her finger and raised it to the heavens, commanding the clouds above to rain down on her foes with hard water droplets and hail. 

Near the cruiser, Nanami, Allielle, Mr. Fujisawa and Ura backed away as more Bugrom started coming closer. 

"Sensei, I think it's your turn!" Nanami cried out as they found themselves surrounded by Bugrom. 

"Grrrrrrrr.....!" The history teacher began psyching himself up, but then groaned in pain as he held his head that was now throbbing from the huge migraine that just came about. "Ow! I guess that was too much!" 

Allielle frowned with Nanami. "Well, everyone told you to stop drinking!" 

The girls screamed as the Bugrom charged, but in an instant, three blurring forms passed through the insects and several flashes of silver were seen. A moment later, the Bugrom landed in pieces as the three Trunks appeared before the group. They looked at each other and nodded before two of them merged back into the third and Trunks became one person again. 

"Are you all right?" Trunks asked Nanami as he sheathed his sword. 

"H-H-How did you...?!" Nanami stammered. 

"No time to explain now." Trunks said as Ura decided to wrap her body around her new master and give him added protection. Though he didn't really need it, he appreciated the gesture all the same. "This battle is taking too long and Jinnai's going to awaken the Demon-God if we don't hurry!" 

"He's right!" Afra called out as she dispatched another group of Bugrom and then addressed Shayla. "Shayla! We'll hold the Bugrom off here! Go with the others and stop that Jinnai person from awakening Ifurita!" 

Shayla nodded as she began running toward the shrine, frying any Bugrom who got in her way. Trunks grabbed Nanami and Mr. Fujisawa in his arms and took off into the air to follow the Fire Priestess. A minute later, Trunks and his passengers landed behind Shayla as she stood before a door that was built into a mountainside. She touched a globe that was embedded into the stone. It glowed briefly, then the door slid open to allow them entry. 

Time was running out... 

---------- 

On Earth... 

"Here we are." Bulma said as she handed the new Scouters to Vegita, Goten and Gohan. "According to what Dende had told me, the Dragon Balls will be active within two days. These Scouters have been adapted to seek them out, like my old Dragon Ball Radar." 

"Hmmm." Vegita took the device without so much as a thank you, (but that's just the way he is), and fitted it over his right eye and ear. He switched it on and trained it on Gohan and his brother. He frowned as it read their current power levels, which were considerably less since the Cell Games and the Maja Buu incident. _Hmpf! What has become of the mighty Saiyan Race? This era of peace is making them soft!_

Gohan had more or less retired from fighting after marrying Videl and becoming a father. He was now wearing glasses and had become the scholar that Chi Chi had always wanted him to be. As for Gohan, like Trunks, had become less interested in fighting and was discovering the fairer sex. 

Though both of Goku's kids were able to become Super-Saiyans, they weren't as strong nor as eager for battle as they were back in their younger days. 

Though Vegita wasn't quite the war-mongering, planet-devastating space conqueror of the past, he still maintained a strict training regimen and constantly strived to improve himself. There was no doubt in his mind that he was now stronger than Gohan was when he beat Cell, especially since Goku's eldest boy spent more of his time reading than fighting. The only person who could give him a good challenge was of course, Kakarot. 

Vegita sighed as he looked over the horizon at the setting sun. In two days he would have his son back, but then what? Trunks had been so much like him when he was younger; eager for a challenge and ready to fight. He had achieved Super-Saiyan status at age eight! However, growing up in these peaceful times had made him lean toward his mother's ways. Bulma was already grooming him to take over the Capsule Corp. His son... the warrior turned businessman. How could such enormous potential go to waste? 

Though he did care for his offspring, (he just has a very hard time showing it), the Prince of the Saiyans wondered just what Trunks was going to do with his life. Was he just going to go like Kakarot's boys and consider his heritage as some kind of extra? At times, Vegita suspected that Trunks and his daughter Bra didn't care at all about their Saiyan bloodlines, or the fact that they were of the Royal Family and considered the cream of their race. 

All right, the history of the Saiyans wasn't something to brag about or be very proud of. After all, the planet Vegita had been home to both the Saiyans and the Tuffles. That is, until the full moon, (which only occurred every eight years or so), appeared and transformed the Saiyans into those gigantic space-apes. It didn't take the Saiyans long to annihilate the Tuffles after that. Then the warriors took to the stars, but not as explorers, but as mercenaries and planet pirates. The technology that they had gained through their alliance to Frieza allowed them to wreak havoc throughout the cosmos, spreading fear and destruction far and wide. Very few Saiyans ever regretted their actions as their thirst for combat increased with every generation, striving to find greater challenges and laying waste to uncounted civilizations. 

However, despite their great strength and powers, the Saiyans were still slaves to an even greater force... Frieza. And their pride and indomitable wills eventually led them to revolt against the yoke placed upon them by the tyrant. This had been a doomed rebellion from the start, and the Saiyans paid for their crimes when Frieza destroyed their home planet and everyone on it. Save for only a few survivors, the Saiyans were virtually extinct. 

It was ironic that Frieza would eventually meet his end at the hands of a Saiyan. Correction, at the hands of TWO Saiyans. Though Vegita had been disappointed that he had not delivered the final blow, he had still been satisfied after Kakarot beat the living daylights out of him and then an alternate future version of Trunks came and tore Frieza apart. Vegita considered that version of his son as a true Saiyan warrior! 

Now why couldn't his own son be like him? As soon as Vegita asked himself that question, he knew the answer. It was because Future Trunks had grown up in a world of conflict, in which just survival was a constant battle. He had to keep fighting, in order to keep on going. Not his Trunks. He grew up in a world that had very little conflict. The dangers of the Androids, Cell, the Ginyu Force, Frieza and Maja Buu were long gone. There was a bit of competition between Tunks and others who had Saiyan blood, but it was not enough to truly bring out his son's true potential. Trunks' father always had Kakarot to keep his skills up and improve, but Trunks did not have anyone. Not even sparring with Goten was sufficient, especially since Gohan's brother had become girl-crazy and spent less time with his friend. 

Vegita sighed again as he wished for something to get his boy to be serious again; not only about his training, but also realize that despite his uneasiness about his heritage, it was a part of him and he should accept it. 

---------- 

The Forbidden Island... 

"Damn these blasted tunnels!" Jinnai growled as he and his Bugrom wandered about in the catacombs beneath the shrine. "I'm getting really sick of this idiotic maze!" 

A few hundred yards away, Shayla led Trunks and the others through the winding passageways. "Hurry! Under no circumstances should that nut get a hold of Ifurita's Power Key Staff! Whoever awakens the Demon-God will be its master!" 

"The Key Staff Power what?!" Fujisawa panted as he ran. 

Shayla-Shayla then caught sight of the Bugrom and ignited her powers, which gave her a limited flight ability and an increase in speed. Jinnai and his followers stopped short and backed away in fear as they saw the Fire Priestess block their path. 

"These catacombs had a lot of places to hide, but not from Shayla-Shayla!" The redhead grinned as she began advancing on them. 

Jinnai eeped as he tried to get his Bugrom to fight her. "Well, what are you waiting for?! Kick her ass!" 

Harpo gave a pathetic whine and shook his head. 

"Come on! Harpo, attack!" 

The Bugrom still didn't budge. 

"Cheeko! You can do it!" 

The large insect then made some sounds that sounded like French. "Excusez-moi. Apres-vous!" He then pushed Jinnai forward. 

"I didn't teach you cowardice!" 

Shayla-Shayla prepared to fry them all while commenting, "They only learn the hard way." 

Trunks drew his sword and began advancing from behind them as Mr. Fujisawa, Allielle and Nanami stood by. Jinnai became even more panicked as he found himself between a rock and a hard place. Then, salvation came in the form of... a tidal wave? 

Shayla-Shayla, Trunks and Mr. Fujisawa all looked in the direction of a side tunnel in which they suddenly heard a loud rushing noise that sounded like water. They all gasped as they saw a huge wave of water come rushing toward them. There was no time to move as they all became swamped and sunk down to the floor of the cavern. Trunks instinctively held his breath, but something didn't feel quite right. He didn't feel... wet. At that moment, he heard Nanami's voice. 

"Hey! What are you guys doing?" 

Trunks looked up and saw Nanami standing by as plain as day and not even noticing that she was under fifty feet of water. Then suddenly, all the water disappeared as they all found themselves in a dry and deserted cave. 

"What the...?! What happened? Where'd all the water go?" Trunks asked as he, Shayla and Masamichi got up. 

"What water?" Nanami asked with confusion. 

At that moment, Shayla got a suspicion as she looked around and tossed a small burst of flame to another side tunnel. The cavern lit up as a small figure emerged from it. 

"Oh how cute! A little Phantom Tribe boy!" Nanami exclaimed. 

"There's nothing cute about him!" Shayla growled as she glared at Nahato. "A worm is still a worm!" 

Nahato smirked as he sneered at the Fire Priestess. "A worm? Why Shayla..." 

"So you know my name eh?" The hot-tempered priestess remarked as she powered up. "Then you must also know of my power!" 

She ignited her flames and charged at him, but just as she reached him, he vanished from sight. Unable to stop her momentum in time, Shayla crashed into a nearby wall, causing the roof of the cavern to collapse. 

"Nanami! Look out!" Trunks shouted as he suddenly appeared beside her and pushed her out of the way. A huge block of stone came crashing down on top of him, driving him through the floor and into the caverns below. 

"Trunks!" 

---------- 

Jinnai was still wandering around when he and his followers heard some loud crashing noises behind them. Whey they saw that the tunnel was collapsing behind them, they hightailed it to escape being crushed. 

---------- 

Trunks groaned as he pushed aside at he huge slab that had pinned him down after causing him to fall into the lower levels of the catacombs. He then began brushing off the dust on his jacket. Miraculously, his Scouter had survived without any damage. 

On his chest, Ura softened up her body after hardening to protect Trunks from the fall. "Hey Trunks! Bones okay?" 

"I'm fine. Thanks Ura." The fall wouldn't have caused more than a few bruises to him, but he appreciated Ura's help all the same. Although, he began wishing that he was wearing his father's old Saiyan armor. 

He then looked over to one side and saw that there was a bright light emanating from a funnel. He also sensed something else. Something that seemed... familiar. 

He followed the tunnel to its end, which came to large open area. He then saw an enormous doorway and something else that was familiar. Above the portal was a large symbol that looked like an eye. 

_Hey! Didn't I see that image before?_

The young half-Saiyan made his way cautiously toward his destiny. 

---------- 

"Trunks! Where are you?!" Nanami cried out as she, Allielle, her history teacher and Shayla traveled through along a rocky pathway toward the Demon-God's resting place. "I can't believe that you led us into such a dangerous place!" Jinnai's sister complained. 

"I'll live with it!" Shayla replied offhandedly. 

"What's the matter with you?!" Nanami cried out. "Aren't you even worried about Trunks?! He maybe hurt or dying down here!" 

Shayla gave Nanami an irritated look. "Are we talking about a guy who blew up five ships, sliced a Bugrom transport in half, split into triplets and who happens NOT to be your boyfriend?" 

Nanami's cheeks reddened at the insinuation. "I told you! We've haven't gotten that far yet!" 

"THIS ISN'T A DAMNED RECESS! GO FIND THE DEMON!!" Fujisawa shouted to end the bickering. 

---------- 

Trunks gasped as he entered the Demon-God's chamber and saw something... someone resting in a shallow pit at the center of the room. The bottom of the depression glowed with an multicolored luminescence, which made it look as if the Demon-God was resting on a bed of light. However, it was not what she was sleeping on that caught Trunks' attention. It was the Demon-God herself... Ifurita. 

"It's... her!" The son of Vegita gasped as he gazed upon her. Though her clothes were not tattered and her skin was a light violet, there was no mistaking her. The girl who had sent him to El Hazard was none other than the Demon-God Ifurita. 

Trunks knelt down to get a closer look at her and noted that a strange staff was hovering above her. The staff was about a little over five feet in length with two crystal globes imbedded into it. The top of the Power Key Staff looked like some strange, blunt axe-head. Tentatively, Trunks reached out and grasped the Power Key Staff between the two globes. He felt a slight static shock, but ignored the sensation as he firmly took hold of the instrument and rose to his feet. As the staff became vertical, Ifurita's body also rose until it stood on its feet. However, the Demon-God continued to slumber and was as stiff as a statue as Trunks continued to gaze upon her. 

It was at that moment that he heard a large roar from behind. He quickly dropped the staff and unsheathed his sword as he whirled about. From out of the main entrance, a huge, lizard that looked like an iguana came out and began spouting fire at him. Trunks immediately jumped out of the way and then charged at the beast. 

---------- 

Jinnai was as surprised as his Bugrom when he came to the Demon-God's resting place and saw his rival battling... nothing. Trunks seemed to be swinging his sword at air, while darting about like a dragonfly. He then caught sight of Ifurita standing alone and her Power Key Staff lying nearby. Not one to miss such a grand opportunity, he ran over to her and quickly swept up the staff. He then looked over his new weapon, then lifted one of her coattails, revealing the access port at the small of her back. 

"Ooh yes! And all you have to do is wind her up! Time to wake up, time to energize my deadly little bunny Demon!" 

He pointed the other end of the staff, fitting it into the access port. When the mechanism clicked into place, Jinnai gleefully began counting as he turned the staff like a key. 

"One... two... three... four..." 

As he continued winding, electrical bolts began shooting about the room, heralding the awakening of the most terrible weapon since the Eye of God. 

---------- 

Trunks couldn't understand it. He had delivered enough slashes to reduce the beast into cold cuts, but his sword just simply passed through it as if it was a ghost. _Or maybe... because it's not real!_

He then began searching around the room and his senses began to pick up a power reading. When he looked at a darkened corner, his Scouter beeped and indicated that someone was there. He then shot out with a ki blast, causing the area to explode. A small figure tumbled into sight. 

"You again!?" Trunks cried out as he saw Nahato stand up and smirk at him. 

The Phantom boy's grin became even more pronounced as he pointed to where Jinnai was before vanishing from view. 

Trunks glanced over and gasped as he saw Jinnai, just as he finished counting... 

"... nine... TEN!" 

"NO!" Trunks dived down but it was too late. The Demon-God had awakened as Ifurita opened her eyes. 

---------- 

Out on the shore of the island, Miz and Afra were just polishing off the last of the Bugrom forces when they suddenly felt a chill and felt the enormous surge of energy being emitted from the shrine. 

"No! It can't be!" Miz exclaimed. 

"They've awakened... Ifurita!" Afra gasped. 

---------- 

Trunks landed in front of Ifurita as she began looking around. 

"Ifurita! It's me! Trunks!" 

The Demon-God gazed at him for a long time before replying. "I don't know you." 

"What?! What do you mean? It's me, Trunks! From the high school? You're the one who sent me to El Hazard! You sent us all!" 

Ifurita turned to Jinnai and said, "I obey only the master of the Power Key Staff." 

Jinnai laughed as he held out the staff. "That's right Trunks! Go find your own Demon-God!" 

"I obey only the master of the Power Key Staff." Ifurita repeated. 

Jinnai snorted as he gave his first command. "Well, as the master of the Power Key Staff, my first order is for you to destroy him!" 

Ifurita then turned to him and held out her hand. "Give me the Power Key Staff." 

"What?! No, it's mine!" Jinnai grasped the staff with both hands. However, Ifurita simply pulled it out of his hands and swung it around so that the pointed end was aimed at Trunks' face. 

Ura hissed as Trunks tried once again to get through to her. "Don't remember me at all? I'm Trunks!" 

Energy began to spark at the end of the staff as Ifurita prepared to fire. 

"That it! Right in the face!" Jinnai gloated. 

At that moment, the high ceiling above them exploded as several figures dropped down to the floor. 

"Look out! She's awake!" Trunks called out. 

Shayla-Shayla gritted her teeth when she saw Ifurita, "Shit! We're too late!" Behind her, Mr. Fujisawa, with Nanami and Alielle in his arms, landed behind her. 

Ifurita turned around to gaze at the newcomers. 

"You're going back to sleep!" The Fire Priestess held up a fist and ignited her flames. "And if you give me any trouble, I've got a knockout pill that'll help!" 

"I recognize your battle technique." Ifurita said coolly, "Northern Capital, isn't it?" 

"Get ready to die!" Shayla shouted as she formed her fire-wings and leapt high. She used the wall behind her to rebound herself toward her foe. 

"Too bad. Merely a novice." The Demon-God commented as she too formed her own fire wings and lifted off into the air. 

Trunks gasped as his Scouter rated the two power levels. Currently, Shayla was emitting her energies at full strength, which was at five thousand. 

Ifurita however, not only duplicated her powers, but was emitting them at twenty-two thousand. And the young Saiyan could tell that Ifurita wasn't using anywhere near her full capabilities. Shayla-Shayla was clearly outmatched! 

"Shayla! Look out!" 

Too late. When the two fire-users collided, it was Shayla who was knocked back as the room was lit up from the collision. The Fire Priestess screamed in pain as her flames were snuffed out like a candle's and she plummeted toward the floor. 

Trunks reacted in an instant, blurring from view and reappearing high in the air, catching Shayla in his arms before blurring again into sight on the floor of the chamber. 

Shayla groaned as she looked up and saw the face of her savior. She once again found herself in the same position as she was in Arliman, but this time, she wasn't at all mad. 

"Trunks... I... you saved..." 

"LOOK OUT!" Trunks yelled as he tossed Shayla to one side, just as Ifurita landed before them, aimed her staff at him and fired a blue-white energy bolt. The blast caught Trunks directly in the chest, or rather it caught Ura in the chest, knocking them both back. 

The cat screamed in agony as she released her hold on Trunks and writhed on the floor, clutching at her burning belly. 

"OW! OW! OW! OW!" 

Trunks kept on flying backward until he slammed into the wall behind him, making a slight depression in the stone. 

Shayla looked up from where she had landed. "No... Ura failed... oh Trunks!" She was too much in pain and her fire powers were too weak at the moment for her to be of any help. 

Trunks groaned as he pulled himself out of the depression and got into a fighting stance. His chest was slightly aching. Even when Ura hardened to protect him the blast had felt as if he had been kicked by a super-powered mule. However, he was still raring to go as Jinnai laughed maniacally at his pain. 

"That's it, Ifurita! Kill him!" 

"Trunks!" Nanami cried out as she feared that he was about to die. 

Ifutrita's eyes showed nothing but coldness as she fired off another bolt. This time however, it was she who got the surprise as Trunks focused his concentration and raised an open palm. The attack was neatly deflected off his hand to explode to his right. 

The Demon-God paused for a moment as she reevaluated the situation. Obviously, her opponent was more skilled than the Fire Priestess. Therefore, more power was required to destroy him. In an instant, she began firing off a rapid volley of beams, each with more power than the last. 

Trunks however, wasn't that easy to beat as he used that one hand to block each incoming shot. He noted that the intensity of the beams was steadily increasing with each shot, but he simply intercepted each one. He was soon surrounded in a thick cloud of dust as the blasts continued to ricochet off his palm. 

Nanami, Mr. Fujisawa and Allielle could only gape in disbelief as Ifurita continued to shoot at her target. For one full minute, the barrage continued, but Trunks stood firm. The room however, took a serious beating as the deflected shots blasted large holes in the walls and ceilings. 

Jinnai's laughter increased as he marveled at his new weapon and the destruction she was causing. 

"WA HA HA HA HA HA! My new weapon is unbeatable! And my rival Trunks is now... huh?" 

The self-proclaimed ruler of El Hazard was struck dumb when Ifurita ceased firing and the cloud cleared, revealing Trunks with his palm still held out. He was unharmed as he lowered his arm and continued to gaze at Ifurita. It seemed that history had repeated itself. Trunks had duplicated what Goku had done with Frieza all those years ago. 

"What the...?! One hand?!" Jinnai said in total disbelief. 

The Demon-God lowered her staff slightly as she took in this new development. "Impressive. You deflected all my attacks. I am not familiar with your battle technique. " 

"Are you ready to listen now?" Trunks asked in a firm tone. 

"I obey only the master of the staff and he has commanded me to destroy you." She said without emotion as she once again aimed her staff at him. "You are strong, but even you can't block this!" In less than a heartbeat, a huge globe of white energy appeared at end of her weapon and launched itself at Trunks. Trunks had to brace himself with his hands held out as the attack struck hard. He was driven back and slammed into the wall again, this time he was engulfed in a large explosion, causing half of the chamber to collapse in on itself. 

"Oh no! Trunks!" Nanami screamed as she and the others thought that he had perished. Shayla-Shayla could only shook her head in shock as she saw the one who had saved her go up in a huge explosion. 

"WA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! At last my eternal rival has been reduced to a cinder! El Hazard is mine!" 

"Not quite." 

Jinnai stopped in his tirade when he heard the voice and gaped at the huge hole. "N-N-NO! IT CAN'T BE! IT'S IMPOSSIBLE!" 

Allielle and the others gasped as they saw someone emerge from the rubble. A large mass of stone was tossed aside as easily as one would hurl a pebble. Trunks walked back into the chamber with a look of determination on his face. The Scouter he had been wearing, fell apart and clattered to the ground in pieces, but the Saiyan didn't need it now. He had pretty good idea of what Ifurita was capable of and it looked as if he would have to use his ace-in-the-hole. 

"I had been hoping that it wouldn't come to this." Trunks said with some reluctance as he took a wide-legged stance with his arms held out and fists clenched. 

Ifurita tensed as she prepared to counter whatever attack Trunks would make. 

"You're very powerful, Ifurita... but let's see if a Demon-God can stand up to a Super-Saiyan!" 

The son of Vegita let off a yell as he powered up his energy to the utmost degree. Mr. Fujisawa, Nanami, Allielle, Ura, Shayla-Shayla and especially Jinnai were in a state of total shock as they witnessed the transformation to the legendary warrior of the Saiyans. 

Trunks' aura changed from its usual color to that of pure gold as his body became a bit more muscular and robust. His hair became more alive as it stood up on end and shifted from light purple to a brilliant blonde. However, the most intriguing change was his eyes as they shifted from a foamy blue, to a radiant emerald green. If he still had his Scouter, it would have exploded from overloading. 

"Totally wild! Trunks has blonde hair!" Nanami exclaimed. 

Now, Ifurita had to take this new development into account as she gazed upon the transformed Trunks and felt the raw power he was now radiating. In the distant recesses of her memory she could see an image of herself battling a person such as this who had glowed with golden fire. 

Shayla-Shayla let off a choked whisper as she remembered back to the old legends of the Holy Wars. One such legend spoke of someone who had fought the dreaded Demon-God and had sealed her away. He had been heralded as the champion of El Hazard. She also recalled the prophesy that concerned the Eye of God, the Shadow Nation and... 

"The Golden Champion." She said in a breathless whisper. Jinnai was the first to snap out of his stupor as he shook his head and shouted. "If you think changing your hair color is going to beat me, then think again! Ifurita! Destroy him!" 

The Demon-God reacted without a second thought and fired. Trunks however, was much faster as a Super-Saiyan and easily dodged the beam. In less than an instant, he had grasped the staff and pulled it off to one side as he prepared to let loose with a blast with his other hand at point-blank range. However, Ifurita was still holding onto her end and that's when Trunks discovered that he had indeed gained a new ability when he came to El Hazard. 

Both he and Ifurita suddenly became paralyzed as their minds began to mingle. A strange energy coursed between the two of them as Trunks saw images of ancient El Hazard during the Holy Wars. He observed images of mass destruction, death, suffering and pain as the warring sides fought to annihilate one another. He saw the Eye of God, still under construction like the Death Star in Return of the Jedi. And through all the chaos and madness, he saw Ifurita, battling it out with someone who had golden hair, green eyes... and a tail. He couldn't make out the face but he knew who that person was... 

_Was he... a Saiyan?!_

Everyone else who were witnessing this wondered just what was going on as Demon-God and Super-Saiyan shared memories. Then as suddenly as it began, it stopped as Trunks released his hold on the Power Key Staff. 

Ifurita leapt back and held her head. She trembled as she glared at Trunks who was looking down at his hand. 

"That was weird." 

"Who are you? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Ifurita then went into a rage and began firing. 

Trunks took off into the air as soon as she started attacking and began returning fire with ki blasts. Ifurita dodged those shots as she too became airborne. 

Mr. Fujisawa saw that the rest of the chamber was about to collapse under the combined barrages. Fortunately, he was sober enough to once again use his super-powers. He quickly swept up Nanami, Allielle, Ura and Shayla-Shayla into his arms and began running as the roof collapsed. 

Jinnai was still raving as he relished in the destruction. "WA HA HA HA HA HA! My new weapon is magnificent! Kill them! Destroy them all!" 

However, he too had to run for safety as a huge slab of stone crashed in front of him. 

The Shrine of the Demon-God shuddered as Ifurita and Trunks continued to battle it out. 

---------- 

Outside, Afra and Miz were still wondering what was going on, when the top of the Shrine exploded and something rocketed upward in a beam of light. 

"The Demon-God has been released!" Miz exclaimed. 

An instant later a second beam of light, this one of gold, also shot up after the first one. 

"What is that?!" Afra asked, then noticed that a wall of the shrine was being blown out. A huge slab was moved out of the way and Mr. Fujisawa staggered out into the daylight. Miz instantly ran over to him as she sat down to rest. 

"Mr. Fujisawa! Are you all right?" 

The history teacher gave her a whimsical smile. "I'm... alive." 

"Thank goodness." Miz sighed. "If you had died then the whole ceremony would have been ruined." 

"Huh?" 

Nanami and Allielle then emerged from the hole, with Allielle carrying Ura. Behind them was Shayla. 

"Shayla! Just what is going on?!" Afra demanded as she ran up to her colleague. 

"Ifurita has been... awakened." Shayla replied as she gazed up at the sky. 

"I know that!" Afra then pointed up to the two figures in the sky as they darted about and fired at each other. "Now tell me just who or what is that! And where's Trunks?" 

"That... is... Trunks." Shayla replied breathlessly. 

"WHAT?!" Miz and Afra exclaimed together. 

Shayla nodded as she began reciting the prophesy. "When the Eye of God Blinks, and the pathway to the sky opens up, and the shadow nation becomes one..." 

Afra became pale as she stared at the golden figure that was fighting Ifurita. She then finished the rest of the prophesy. "And the Golden Champion shall return to save us all." 

---------- 

High above, Trunks was getting quite a workout as he and Ifurita continued to mix it up. Trunks was now slashing away with his sword, but Ifurita proved to be quite proficient with handling her staff. Every stab, every swing, and every slash was blocked and countered. Energy blasts were thrown back and forth. The young Saiyan tried to get in close for some hand-to-hand, but his opponent proved to be just as good at evasion as she was at attacking. 

Furthermore, though Trunks possessed enough power as a Super-Saiyan to destroy the world, he was lacking in one key element; experience. With no real reason to continue training hard, Trunks wasn't fully up to dealing with an opponent that had battled with thousands of opponents and could adapt to any attack or technique. In a way, Ifurita was El Hazard's version of Cell. The young Super-Saiyan was finding it difficult to keep up with her and a few blows were landing. 

The two sped toward each other again, releasing energy bolts as they charged. However, when Trunks tried another slash, Ifurita blocked with her staff and lashed out with a kick, slamming her foot hard into his gut. This caused him to release his grip on his sword, causing it to fall toward the ground below. Before Trunks could recover, Ifurita swung her staff again, this time catching the young Saiyan in the head, stunning him. Trunks managed to stay aloft as his opponent floated back a bit and hovered. 

"Very impressive. You possess great power." Ifurita commented as she continued to hover. "Only one other has been able to last this long against me. You have the same powers as he did when I was sealed up in that shrine." 

"W-What?!" Trunks shook his head to clear it as the images he had received from her came back to him. "Y-Y-You mean that person I saw was a... Super-Saiyan?! Like me?" 

"No." Ifurita flatly responded. "You are not like him. You are not the Golden Champion. You are merely a novice compared to him. And I had learned much from that battle since then." At that moment, Ifurita's power skyrocketed as she suddenly glowed with the same golden aura that Trunks was emitting. 

The son of Vegita was caught off-guard as his adversary blurred and appeared in front of him. With one savage blow of her staff, she slammed him down and fired a huge blast after him. The huge beam hit him squarely on the back and drove him toward the ground at tremendous speed. Trunks hit the island like a falling meteor and was engulfed in the explosion of the impact. She continued to fire additional blasts after the first one and the island shook, as Shayla and the others dove for cover. When the light of the explosions had finally died down, there was nothing left but a huge, smoking crater. In its center lay Trunks... unmoving. 

High above, with unfeeling eyes, Ifurita nodded at her handiwork and decided that the time had come for her to depart. She then sped off over the horizon and was soon flying over a heavily-populated area of El Hazard. With one causal blast, she obliterated the entire sector, leaving nothing but devastation as she flew onward toward Bugrom territory and her new master. 

Back at the Forbidden Island, the others were running toward the spot where Trunks had fallen. Shayla and Nanami reached Trunks first. 

"Trunks!" Nnami kneeled down beside the battered Saiyan and became relieved as she heard him moan, signifying that he was still alive. 

"He's still alive! I never even got a chance to thank him!" Shayla said as she too knelt down. 

This got Nanami a bit irritated as she glared at Shayla. The Fire Priestess glared back at her. 

Behind them, Afra and the rest could only gaze at the stranger from another world with awe. 

"Amazing! He survived that?!" Miz exclaimed. 

Afra looked at Trunks and then noted that his hair began to revert back to its normal color. "Just like the legends say. He truly is... the Golden Champion. But, it looks like even he couldn't stop Ifurita this time." 

Trunks however, heard none of this as he lay in pain. In his mind, he began recall memories of his early childhood, when he was training for the World Martial Arts Tournament. He saw himself as an eight-year-old, training hard in the Gravity Room. Then he heard Vegita's voice as he remembered something that he had told his son during that time. 

Flashback... 

"Even in times of peace, a true Saiyan warrior must train and be prepared. It our way to always seek out new challenges. Only by overcoming those challenges do we become masters of our future. Never forget that Saiyan blood flows through your veins and that you carry with you the pride of our race. It is your heritage!" 

End of flashback... 

Never had those words rung truer than now. His lack of interest in maintaining his training now came back to him with very serious consequences. Trunks then said in a sad, faltering voice to himself. "I'm... sorry, Father. I... failed." 

At that moment, darkness claimed him as he slipped into unconsciousness. 

End of the Fourth Night 

Author's Notes 

Well, I know that a lot of you were thinking that Trunks should have won hands down, but what would be the point, right? As I had mentioned in previous chapters, Trunks hadn't been training as hard since the Maja Buu incident. So of course, he wasn't prepared to go up against an opponent of Cell's caliber. I do have something special planned for the later chapters and the climax, so don't worry about this minor upset. In any case, after watching the El Hazard videos, I kind of got to thinking that Ifurita was like Cell, and you can remember how much trouble he caused for the Z fighters. Trunks is going to have work hard to win against her and you can bet that the final battle will be a doozy! 

As for the other questions that were raised in this chapter, they will be answered, rest assured. Next chapter will be Trunks Vs Ifurita, Round 2 and a few more surprises. Next on Dragon Ball Hazard, the Fifth Night: The Legend of the Golden Champion.


	5. The Fifth Night - The Legend of the Gold...

**Dragon Ball Hazard**

by 

Hung (Animeaddiction) Nguyen 

Disclaimer: Oh where, oh where has my disclaimer gone? 

: Thoughts 

**The Fifth Night **

The Legend of the Golden Champion 

The Bugrom Citadel... 

Jinnai continued to laugh at his good fortune as the Bugrom celebrated his triumph at gaining control of the Demon-God Ifurita. As they giant insects danced about and played drums to a heavy beat, the egomaniac was imbibing his ninth glass of Burgrom nectar, which had the same effect as drinking sake. Jinnai was already tipsy as Queen Diva refilled his glass. 

"So tell me again, Lord Jinnai, how you gained control of the Demon-God Ifurita." 

"HIC! It washn't a problemm! That dope Trunks thought he was pretty hot schtuff, but by... HIC... my Demon-God kicked his ash! WA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!" 

---------- 

The Demon-God in question was sitting alone on top of the top roof of the Bugrom Citadel and staring out at the night sky. When she saw the Eye of God, she became puzzled. 

_No... when I was sealed into that deep sleep, the Eye of God wasn't halfway near to completion. Something must have caused this change of events during my long slumber._

She then remembered back to that teen she had faced. The boy with power to rival her own. She recalled his words and his face... 

Flashback... 

Trunks: Ifurita! It's me, Trunks! Don't you remember? From the High School? You're the one who sent me here! 

End of flashback... 

The Demon-God trembled as she recalled that strange feeling when he grabbed hold of her Power Key Staff. Then she saw an image of Trunks as a Super-Saiyan, which reminded her of the great battle she had with El Hazard's Golden Champion. 

"No... I don't know you..." 

---------- 

Gallus smiled as the council of leaders unanimously voted on unsealing the Eye of God after he had informed them that 'Princess Fatora' was returning with the three Priestesses of Mount Muldoon. Everything was going according to plan. Soon, the Phantom Tribe would have its revenge against the people of El Hazard. It was just a matter of time now. 

---------- 

A few hours earlier... 

Trunks regained consciousness and found that he was aboard the cruiser, which was currently making its way toward Florastika. 

"Oh good! You're awake!" 

Trunks groaned a bit as he sat up and saw that Nanami, Mr. Fujisawa, Allielle, Ura and the Three Priestesses were sitting around the deck of the cruiser. All eyes were focused on him as he recalled the battle he had waged... and lost against Ifurita. 

"It's... good to see that all of you are safe." He commented as he winced from the injuries he had sustained. He looked down and saw that he was bare-chested and that his torso was tightly wrapped in bandages, along with his forehead. On to one side, he saw his duffle bag and sword. Apparently, they had retrieved his things, but it took Mr. Fujisawa's strength to carry his weapon. The sword had been composed of some of the strongest alloys the Saiyan could find to sneak into the metal shop class. 

"Trunks!" Ura cried out as she leapt into his arms. "Trunks okay?" 

"I'm fine Ura. And how are you?" He looked at his cat and saw that her middle was also wrapped up. 

"Ura be okay. Ura worry when Trunks get hurt." 

"I'm okay, Ura. Really." He looked back at his companions and saw the questions in their eyes. He took a deep breath and sighed. "I guess you all want to ask me some questions, right?" 

Nanami's brow furrowed as she nodded. "You're darned right that we have some questions! You've been hiding a LOT from us, haven't you? We want answers and we want them now!" 

Trunks sighed again. "All right, what do you want me to tell you first?" 

Nanami crossed her arms and gave Trunks a glare before replying. "First of all, exactly who or what are you really, and how can you do all those things you did back on the island? And don't lie to us and say that you gained those powers when you came to El Hazard, 'cause I don't buy that for a minute! Mr. Fujisawa got super-strong, I can see through illusions and my big jerk of a brother can speak to the Bugrom. I believed it when Mr. Fujisawa said you got super-strength and speed, but then you started glowing, flying all over the place, shooting energy beams, split into three people, and then transformed into that gold whatever-you-were! Start explaining Trunks! Just how were you able to do all that, when the rest of us only gained ONE superpower?" 

"That's right, Trunks." Mr. Fujisawa agreed. "I may have been drinking at that time, but I wasn't THAT drunk! It's time for you to come clean. As your teacher, I an entitled to an explanation!" 

Trunks could only sigh again as he replied. "Okay. I guess I do owe you that much. Though I'm not sure where to start and it's a really, REALLY long story." 

"Try the beginning, Trunks. We've got plenty of time before we reach Roshtaria." His sensei said. 

"All right. So let me start by asking you a question. Have you ever heard of the Saiyans?" 

---------- 

Some time later... 

"What?! I always thought that it was Hercule Satan that defeated Cell." Nanami said with surprise. 

Trunks snorted with disgust. "Hah! In the words of my father, I've known stronger houseplants. That fake took the credit for all the work that my friend Gohan and his father Goku did to stop Cell. Heck, I beat that phony when I was eight at the World Martial Arts Tournament. It's just that everybody believed that he lost that fight on purpose." 

"Still... it's really hard to believe that you're an alien, Trunks." Nanami remarked as she gazed at his features. 

"Only half. My mother is human." 

Mr. Fujisawa nodded. "And that transformation to... what did you call it again?" 

"Super-Saiyan. My powers and moves becomes thousands of times stronger and faster... though it wasn't enough to beat Ifurita." Trunks said with some sadness. His father had always been telling him to continue with his training, and the difference in battle skills between himself and the Demon-God were painfully obvious. 

"So you're saying that you're not the legendary Golden Champion?" Afra asked. 

"Just who IS this Golden Champion you keep talking about? What does my transformation into a Super-Saiyan have anything to do with this person?" 

Afra took a sip of her tea before answering. "Long ago, during the Holy Wars, the Demon-God Ifurita devastated the lands of El Hazard. At that point, the Eye of God had not been completed yet, so there was no force in El Hazard that could stand up against her. That is, until a savior came from the sky inside a Great White Egg." 

"Great White Egg?" 

Shayla nodded as she continued for Afra. "That's what the legend said. During that time, this warrior from the sky was violent, and would attack anyone. He seemed to be just as dangerous as Ifurita. The legend becomes very vague at this point, but it does state that he changed for some reason and began using his incredible powers to protect people. Eventually, he came face to face against Ifurita." 

Miz nodded as she finished with the legend. "It was said that the battle between them was unlike anything ever seen before and lasted for hours. However, when it seemed that the warrior was about to be destroyed, he became imbued with the golden power of God, which caused his dark hair to turn to gold and his eyes to become blazing emeralds. He managed to beat Ifurita down long enough for the Elders of Ancient El Hazard to seal her away." 

"That sounds like what happens to me when I turn into a Super-Saiyan." Trunks remarked. "My hair becomes blonde and my eyes turn green." 

"Indeed. So you can understand why we thought you were that Golden Champion." Afra said as she finished her tea. 

"Yeah, well I'm not this Golden Champion that you're talking about. So whatever happened to this guy?" 

"We don't know." Miz replied. "The records to that time period have been lost over the centuries and the Golden Champion was not heard from again after his battle with Ifurita. If the Royal Family didn't have that artifact, then he would have been long forgotten by now." 

"Artifact? What artifact?" Nanami asked. 

"The Royal Family of Roshtaria still possesses the Great White Egg that the Champion had arrived in. It is stored within the deepest recesses of the Royal Archives Vault, and has remained untouched since then." 

Trunks nodded as he took in the information. He remembered back to when he fought Ifurita and her comment on how his powers and appearance were similar to this Golden Champion. He had a feeling as to what this Great White Egg might be and who the Golden Champion was. 

---------- 

Later on, in the Palace of Florastika... 

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! WHY?! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME?!" Fujisawa cried out as he found himself in the dungeon again. 

Miz Mishtal was standing on the other side of the pit with her hands clasped together in front of her. "I'm very sorry about this, but everyone agreed that we had to stop you from drinking." 

"ISN'T THAT TORTURE ENOUGH?! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!" 

Miz sighed as she replied. "It's because you lose control... when you drink, you lose all your super-powers." 

The history teacher sat down in a cross-legged position and crossed his arms across his chest. "I am a teacher and I have total control!" 

"Nanami and Trunks say that you don't have any control. They say that you even drink when you..." 

"STOP IT! I'VE HEARD IT ALL BEFORE! EVERYONE'S AGAINST ME!" Masamichi started blubbering. 

"Oh my poor baby." Miz soothed, then smiled at him. "I'll tell you what..." 

"Huh?" 

The Water Priestess then got a starry look in her eyes. "If you can help us with the war, then I'll have time to make some preparations and then... you can drink all you want!" 

Fujisawa's face lit up at this. "An open bar?" 

---------- 

Trunks shook his head in depression as he once again found himself in his Fatora disguise. No sooner had he entered the palace, he was immediately ushered into a private chamber and was put into a dress, given a wig and had his face plastered with makeup. Princess Rune had been ecstatic that he had brought the Three Priestesses back with him, but since the other leaders had arrived to witness the unsealing of the Eye of God, both princesses of the Royal Family had to be present at the ceremony. Things had gotten even more tense when word of the Demon-God's reawakening spread throughout Roshtaria, making the need for the Eye of God's use even more desperate. 

He had secretly used another item that he had brought with him to El Hazard to recover from his injuries. The day before being transported to this world, he had visited his good friend Korrin, and had received a gift of four Senzu Beans. He had only three Senzu beans left now and once they were gone, that was it. He would have to save them for emergencies only. 

However, as he sat on a bench in the Royal Courtyard, his thoughts went back to that time at Shinnanome High a few days ago, though it seemed as if it had been a lifetime. He was certain that the girl who had sent him to El Hazard was in fact the same Ifurita that he had fought. It just didn't make any sense! 

"Impossible." Trunks said to himself. 

Beside him, his personal living body armor Ura was currently taking a cat nap. In addition to her body's amazing flexibility and hardening abilities, the cat also had remarkable recuperative powers. By the time they had reached Floarastika, she had fully recovered from the injuries she had sustained on the Forbidden Island. 

---------- 

"Impossible!" Dr. Schtallebaugh said as he conversed with Nanami and Afra a few dozen yards away from where Trunks was. "You saw for yourself that Ifurita was indeed sealed on the Forbidden Island, yet Trunks claims that she was the one who sent him to El Hazard. Simple logic cancels both these hearsays. The ancient gods of antiquity were powerful, but they did not have the capability to cross dimensions." 

"Yes, but the important fact remains that Ifurita now serves the Bugrom. Her power is as great as the legends say, and even though Trunks possesses great power himself, Ifurita still defeated him." Afra became very concerned. 

At this point, Nanami noticed someone hiding behind a pillar behind where Trunks was sitting at. She frowned as she recognized Shayla-Shayla. 

Afra also noticed her colleague looking around the corner. "Now what do you think she's doing?" 

"Hmpf!" Nanami became even more irritated as she began walking toward her and Trunks. 

---------- 

Shayla took a deep breath, then sighed as she looked away from the disguised Trunks, and leaned against the pillar she was hiding behind. She gathered up her courage and mentally psyched herself up. 

"One... two... three!" The Fire Priestess walked around the corner and approached the Saiyan. "Hey there... dude." 

Trunks turned around with a look of puzzlement as Shayla sat down on a nearby ledge with her back to him. 

"Huh? Dude?" 

"Yeah..." Shayla continued as she crossed her arms and lowered her head. "As in... thanks for saving my life..." 

Trunks couldn't help but smile. Here was the tough and hot-tempered Fire Priestess acting humble toward him. Only a little while ago, she had been trying to fry him to a cinder. "Aw, Shayla... it's okay. You don't have to thank me for anything. I was glad to do it, and I would have done it again in a second. I guess we just kind of gotten off on the wrong foot back at Arliman." 

"Heh. Yeah, it's not really like me at all." Shayla said with a nervous laugh. She then began twiddling her fingers and her cheeks became flushed with red. "So... Trunks... you haven't told me how... Earth people... I mean Saiyans like to receive their reward." 

"Huh? What are you...?" 

"Trunks!" 

Both looked to one side and saw Nanami standing with her hands on her hips and gazing at them with an annoyed glare. 

"Just what do you think you are doing? Mr. Fujisawa is expecting us to be in homeroom right now!" 

"Huh? Homeroom? What are you talking about?" 

"I mean it, Trunks!" She then grabbed hold of one of Trunks' arms and tried to pull him out of the bench. "Even though he's in the dungeon, he still expects us to be on time, so come on!" 

"You've GOT to be kidding!" Trunks protested as he resisted her attempts to yank him away from Shayla-Shayla. 

The Priestess of Muldoon let off an irritated sound as she pushed her way between the two and swatted Nanami's hand from Trunks' wrist. "Take five, Trunks!" She then glared at the interfering girl. "Just who do you think you are, hall monitor?" 

Nanami gave her a look of disdain and crossed her arms. "If that's what it takes, then that's who I am. Extra-curricular activities denied!" 

"Chick, you have got some serious problem!" 

"I'm not the one with the problem. And I suppose that it's normal to hide behind corners and spy on boys?" 

Shayla became momentarily flustered, but recovered. "I wasn't spying!" 

"Oh? Then how about lurking about? What do you call it then?" 

"THAT is none of your business." She then gave her an off-handed wave. "Get lost." 

"Hmpf! WE will! But I'm telling you right now that I won't have Trunks hanging around with a dyke!" 

"HEY! WHAT DOES THAT MEAN, A DYKE!?" 

Nanami held up her dukes. "It means, put 'em up!" 

"NOW THAT I UNDERSTAND!" Shayla said as she prepared to fight. 

"Hold on, girls!" Trunks said as he tried to break it up. 

"I SAID TAKE FIVE!" Shayla said as she swung her open hand toward him. 

Trunks backed off before her hand could make contact. It wasn't as if Shayla could hurt him, but he was concerned that she might sprain her hand if she tried to smack his super-strong Saiyan chest muscles. However, his hand brushed against a large object that was hidden beneath a large overgrowth of vines and shrubbery. In an instant the thing came alive as loud mechanical noises were heard and a green light was emitted from it. 

The three stepped back as a huge shape lumbered forward from the hedges. It shook off centuries of plant growth and extended an appendage with had some wicked-looking claw-like device. It looked as if it was attacking and Shayla-Shayla already had the Lamp of Fire out of its holster and ready to blast it. However, before she could turn it into a smolder pile of ash, it shuddered to a stop, becoming inanimate again. Trunks, Nanami and Shayla continued to stare at the thing as it became inactive once more. 

---------- 

"The Royal Palace records indicated that the machine had been here long before the gardens were ever built. Obviously, the landscapers were in error in designating it as a mere statue." 

Trunks nodded as he looked at the huge and derelict robot that was now lying on the examination table in Dr. Schtallebaugh's laboratory. 

"In truth, I believe that this is actually a machine that was created by the ancients of El Hazard." The old man then walked over to another table and gestured for Trunks to follow He then pointed to a circular device that was about the size of a Walkman. "I have possessed this device for many years, and I believe that it is the same as that large machine over there. Now, if you were to assist me in a small experiment, Trunks?" 

"Uh... sure, okay. What do you want me to do?" 

"Just touch it! Hurry up!" 

"All right." Trunks shrugged as he extended a hand and placed it on top of the device. Immediately, his hand glowed with blue lines as he felt a strange sensation. He quickly retracted his hand when the machine started turning itself on. 

"Ah, you see?" Schtallebaugh remarked. "Now if you would just calm down and resume the experiment?" 

Trunks nodded again as he took a deep breath and touched the machine again. This time, he let the sensation pass over him as he saw in his mind the insides of the device. 

"Describe what you are seeing and feeling." The Royal advisor directed. 

"I feel... no, I can actually see a... switch. Here it is." The young Saiyan moved his finger to the right and pushed a small activator stud. The device began spinning up and released a rotating red light which startled both men. They stepped back as the apparatus made a series of strange noises. Then, a minute later, it stopped and became dormant again. 

"It... kind of felt like a really old LD player." Trunks remarked. 

Schtallebaugh nodded. "Yes, but that's not important. What is important that it seems you gained the power to access and control technology simply by touching them. Apparently, this includes the Ancient Technology of El Hazard." 

"Huh? But... that's impossible!" 

"Yes, most people would say as much. However, this is YOUR special power. You touched Ifurita's staff and saw her memories of the Holy Wars and the Golden Champion!" 

"So that's what it was?" The son of Vegita asked as he looked down at his hand. It was then that he started thinking. 

---------- 

"You want to see the Great White Egg?" Rune asked with some confusion. Before her throne was Trunks in his regular clothes, Nanami and Allielle. Shayla-Shayla and the other Priestesses were busy in preparation with the unsealing the Eye of God. The usual group of guards had been dismissed from the throne room so that they could speak in private with Rune Venus. The only guard present was Lons. 

The half-Saiyan nodded as he explained. "Yes, Princess Rune. I have a theory behind the legend of this Golden Champion of yours and I need to see this Egg to prove it." 

Rune considered the youth before her before replying. "I'm afraid that I don't understand. The Egg has been a part of the Royal Treasures since the Holy Wars. It has remained in the vault since that time long ago. Now you wish to see it because of a theory?" 

"Princess Rune... I have an idea of who this Golden Champion might have been and the only way I can confirm it is to see the artifact." 

"Why is this so important to you?" 

"Because I think that there's a chance that this Champion may have left a clue as to how to beat Ifurita, in the Egg. After all, he defeated her during the Holy Wars. Please Princess Rune. For all that I've done for you and the Alliance, could you at least grant me this one request?" 

The ruler of Roshtaria considered her sister's look-alike for a long time before nodding. "I suppose that it wouldn't hurt and any clue that we find in that artifact might be of great help to us." 

---------- 

Princess Rune and Lons led the others down a small passageway that led to a pair of large steel doors with guards posted at both sides. They smartly saluted their ruler as she gave the command to unseal the Royal Archives Vault. 

The guards nodded as one of them went over to a large lever and pulled on it. The sound of metal grinding filled the air as mechanisms that have remained unchanged for decades began to move. When the lever finally clicked into place, Rune then placed a hand on a globe that was imbedded into one side wall, which released the final lock. The sphere activated, after confirming that the person who wished entrance, was indeed a member of the Royal Family of Roshtaria. The huge doors slowly swung open and a lighting system activated, illuminating the huge room. The group then walked inside. 

The Archives looked like the inside of a giant library with long rows of shelves, filled with books, scrolls and other objects. Many of those items were crumbling apart from extreme age and just about everything had a layer of dust on it. 

"Achoo!" Nanami sneezed as the dust tickled her nose. "When was the last time you cleaned this place?" 

"This place has remained untouched since the time of the Holy Wars." Rune replied as she led them toward an open area where a large, round sphere sat on a pedestal. She then gestured to it while addressing them. "And there it is... the Great White Egg that brought the Golden Champion to El Hazard." 

Trunks' eyes widened as he instantly recognized the Egg for what it was. It was about the size of a compact car, and had one circular window. It looked like a huge baseball with the outlines of the door/platform on the front. He had seen something just like it in the Capsule Corps Museum of Technology. His grandfather Dr. Briefs had pieced together the wreckage of the same craft, which had brought Goku to Earth more than forty-five years ago. It had been remodeled to carry him to Namek. In fact, the general layout of all Capsule Corp spaceships were based on the same design, except that they were built larger and made more comfortable. 

He ran over to it and stopped to stand before the pedestal. "I knew it! I knew it! It's a Saiyan Space Pod!" 

"Saiyan... Space... Pod?" Rune said with confusion. She had not yet been informed of Trunks' heritage or of the Saiyans. 

"I'll explain it to you later, Princess Rune." Trunks said as he approached the craft and walked around it, making a full inspection of the exterior. It looked as if the ship had come down in one piece and hadn't been touched during the Hoy Wars. As Trunks looked around, Nanami and Allielle moved forward. 

"Trunks? You said that this was a Saiyan Space Pod. What is that?" Nanami asked. 

Trunks had only given Nanami a brief overview of the history of the Saiyans during their trip back to Roshtaria. As he continued to circle the ship, he gave out some more information. "Remember when I told you about how the Saiyans became planetary mercenaries? It's not something that I'm proud to admit. Well, anyway Saiyans used ships like this to travel to other galaxies. My guess is that during that period in our history, one Saiyan must have somehow ended up in El Hazard at the time of the Holy Wars. And he must have found out how to become a Super-Saiyan, thus becoming El Hazard's Golden Champion." 

"But.. you said that El Hazard is in another dimension, in an another universe entirely." 

Trunks shrugged as he stepped closer to the pod. "I don't know. Maybe that Saiyan ran into something out in space that allowed him to cross over into this dimension. Maybe there was a rip in the space-time continuum or he could have passed through a black hole. My Mom's been theorizing that black holes are gateways to alternate universes." 

"Huh?" 

"Sorry. Sometimes I find myself talking like Mom. Well, for whatever reason, that Saiyan ended up here and decided to forget his mission and fight for the Ancients of El Hazard. _Probably wanted to fight Ifurita. The Saiyans always did like to fight!_

"Are you sure that he was a Saiyan?" Nanami asked as she approached the strange craft. 

Trunks looked around and saw a large mural hanging nearby. It depicted the scene of a great battle in which the Golden Champion was fighting the Demon-God. He then noticed something near the waist of the Champion's image and nodded. "I'm pretty sure that it was a Saiyan. You see that?" He pointed to what appeared to be a sash around the man's waist. 

"That's his belt. So what?" 

Trunks shook his head as he traced the line from the waist to the back of the Champion's leg. "Nope. That's a tail." 

"A... tail?" She then looked at Trunks' waist and rear, then blushed a bit when she noticed how tight his buns were. She quickly composed herself and said, "Well... you said you were a Saiyan, but... I... don't see a tail on you." 

Trunks shrugged as he answered her question. "I'm only half-Saiyan and I was born without a tail. My father and Goku are pureblood Saiyans. They were born with tails, but those tails were later cut off and don't grow back anymore. My friend Gohan had a tail when he was born, but his doesn't grow back either. I guess it all has to do with genetics and stuff." He pointed back to the mural. "That's definitely a tail though. Saiyans usually wrapped then around their waists like a belt to keep them from being cut off." 

"Why?" 

"Well, before the Saiyans discovered how to transform into Super-Saiyans, the source of their power and strength was in their tails. That was also their weakness. If you grabbed him by his tail, he loses his strength and feels great pain. The tail was also the key to transforming at the light of a full moon." 

"To turn into a Super-Saiyan?" 

"No..." The young warrior tried to think of a way to best describe the other transformation that Saiyans could undergo. "Let's just say that you DON'T want to be around a Saiyan with a tail during a full moon." 

"You mean he becomes like some kind of werewolf?" 

"No... something a lot worse." The son of Vegita then changed the subject as he began feeling around the surface of the ship. "In any case, whoever fought Ifurita WAS a Saiyan and he found out how to become a Super-Saiyan." 

Jinnai's sister noticed Trunks feeling around the ship and asked, "What are you doing?" 

"I'm looking for the outer hatch release." He bent lower to feel the underside. _If I remember right, the access panel should be right about... here!_ He tapped an area which made a small panel flip out, revealing a keypad with some alien numerals on them. 

"You found out how to open it?" Nanami inquired as she and Allielle moved closer. 

"Not... quite. You see... you have to punch in the correct access code in order for the hatch to open up." He then looked over his shoulder to them. "You two better stand back, because if I press in the wrong code, then the Space Pod will activate its self-destruct mechanism. The explosion would take out half the vault!" 

Both girls paled when they heard this and backed off. Nanami gestured for Lons and Rune to get back. 

Trunks looked back at the keypad. _Now how do I get this thing open without it blowing up? There's a chance that the plasmonic explosive charge may have degraded over the centuries, but I'm not going to risk it. I could survive the explosion, but Nanami and the others wouldn't! There's got to be a way!_

Trunks pondered it for a long while. It was then that he remembered his time with Dr. Schtallebaugh and what he had said about the power he gained when he came to El Hazard. 

_The doctor said that I can access and control machines by touching them with my hands. I wonder..._

He cautiously extended a hand to the access keypad and placed it lightly on the buttons. He closed eyes and concentrated. 

His hand glowed with a blue light as he began probing the old circuits and relays. A moment later, his fingers began pressing the keypad in a certain sequence. A very long moment of silence passed by and then a dull click was heard, followed by the grinding of hydraulic systems that haven't operated in hundreds of years. The hatch slowly swung down to form a kind of boarding ramp. The main computer was located on the ramp and would have been positioned in front of the passenger during space travel. The inside of the Space Pod was lined with thick cushions to protect the passenger form impacts and there was a kind of lounge seat in the rear for him to rest in as he traveled through the cosmos. There was little else inside, but Space Pods were not meant for recreation during long voyages. Usually, the Pod's life-support systems would put the passenger into a form of suspended hibernation until he reached his destination, which eliminated the need for food supplies, water and waste disposal. Periodically, during the trip, the computer would wake up the passenger when it needed to land and recharge its power core. 

Trunks then reached for the main computer and using his new power, activated its memory banks. The readouts on the screen were in Saiyanese, but he knew enough about his father's native language to understand the data. However, in a few minutes, he soon became disappointed after scanning through the entire databank. He let off a sigh as he stood up and shook his head. He had learned a few things today, but they had not been what he had been hoping for. 

---------- 

"So what exactly happened, Trunks? What was that thing you did?" Nanami asked as they were all back in the throne room. Nearby, Allielle was filling in Rune and Lons on the history of the Saiyans. 

"That was MY special power" The half-Saiyan said with a bit of a whimsical smile. "I guess I took after my Mom more than I thought. In any case, I was right about the Golden Champion being a Saiyan. According to what I learned from the ship's computer, that particular Saiyan had been on his way to conquer a planet when his ship encountered some kind of anomaly that caused him to be thrown through time and space. He ended up in El Hazard during the Holy Wars." 

"And...?" 

Trunks shrugged. "And that's all the computer had recorded. I guess he didn't keep any records of his stay in El Hazard and with so little known after his fight with Ifurita, there's big gray area. I was also hoping that the ship would be able to provide us with a means of getting back home, but that's a no-go too. According to the diagnostics, the hyper-drive is shot and the power core is just about expired. That Pod is just an oversized paperweight now." 

"So it didn't tell you anything? Like how to beat Ifurita?" 

"No. Though I have a hunch that Ifurita had never encountered a Super-Saiyan before, during the Holy Wars. That's probably the reason why the Golden Champion had beaten her. When I fought her, she easily adapted to my power levels and kicked my butt." Trunks sighed sadly as he remembered his humiliating defeat. 

"So... there's no way you or any of us can beat her?" There was a bit of fear in Nanami's voice. 

"I didn't say that. I'm just saying that we can't beat her at our current power levels. She's sort of like what Cell was. She'll adapt to any new challenge quickly and she's already got a lot more fighting experience than I do. The only way I can think of for me to beat her, is to increase my power levels and experience to overwhelm hers. And with what little time we have, I don't see any way that I can do that. It would take me at least a year of nonstop training for me to attain that kind of power." _I'm glad that my Dad isn't here to rub it in. He's always been harping on me to keep training... I can just see him now saying 'I told you so!.' I wonder what he and the others are doing now?_

---------- 

On Earth... 

Vegita was atop a mountain and was in deep meditation. He was sitting in a cross-legged position with arms crossed and his eyes closed. He was wearing the Saiyan armor he had worn during Cell Games. Over his right ear and eye was the new Scouter, which would immediately alert him of the Dragon Balls' locations once they became active. Dende had told him that they would be reenergized by tomorrow. 

That left the Prince of the Saiyans time to contemplate the future once the Dragon Balls had been collected. Of course, the first wish would be to have Trunks returned to him, but what about the second wish? There were a LOT of possibilities that one could explore with a wish from the Eternal Dragon. 

He could wish for immortality as he had initially wanted when he first learned of the Dragon Balls. However, if he were to become everlasting, then there would be little point in training to become better. Why bother becoming stronger if you didn't have to worry about dying? If he had become endowed with eternal life, then he would have never achieved the coveted status of a Super-Saiyan and even beyond that. It was the challenge, the very drive for combat and to become stronger was what defined the Saiyan race. In that respect, he was glad that Kakarot was around to motivate him to become better. Whenever he became better, Vegita would see it as a kind of plateau not to achieve, but to surpass. 

However, it was his son that he was concerned about. Over the last few years, with nothing but peace reigning over the Earth, Trunks had been slacking off from his training. He wasn't as strong as he should be and was becoming more like his mother. Though he would never admit it openly, even to Bulma, Vegita did care deeply for his family. However, he still wanted his eldest child and heir to become the great warrior and true Saiyan that he was! He represented the best of the Saiyans, the Royal Bloodline itself! Trunks should at least live up to the image that was his heritage. 

The former conqueror of planets considered wishing for Trunks to become... no! That would be seen as a cheat! Power must be earned! Only though intense training and discipline could Trunks realize the potential that he was capable of. By that way, he could strive to bring out his very best! However, the same problem still remained. His son had no real challenges or motivation to bring out that potential. 

Vegita continued to brood as the night wore on. 

---------- 

El Hazard, deep below Roshtaria... 

"So how goes the progress?" Nahato asked as he and Gallus approached the technicians. In front of them was a large apparatus with ringed power converters attached to it. In the center was a slender, figure with long brown hair... with a face that mirrored Trunks'. 

"Not much." The head technician replied. "We've analyzed Fatora's biological makeup and determined that there is a gene which allows her to control the Eye of God. It seems to be gender specific and is only found in the female members of Roshtaria's Royal Family." 

"We know that! The question is... can you control the Eye?" 

"It is theoretically possible, but without more testing, we can't say for certain. However, there is a new bit of information. It seems that the control mechanism will only work if the genes for the matrix were in tandem. That's probably the reason why TWO princesses are necessary. Perhaps if we were to somehow double Fatora's genes..." 

"Just do it!" Nahato said. "We must be able to get control of the Eye of God!" 

Gallus nodded as he looked down at the boy. "Have you taken care of the other device?" 

Nahato nodded. "It's already been done." 

The ruler of the Phantom Tribe smiled. Soon, vengeance would be his! 

Within the machine, Princess Fatora moaned in her drug-induced state. 

---------- 

Back at the Palace of Florastika... 

**_CRASH!_**

"HA HA HA HA HA HA!" Mr. Fujisawa stepped out from the dungeon, completely sober. "Mere doors cannot contain Super-Fujisawa!" 

It was then that he found himself face-to-face with Shayla-Shayla. 

"Yo!" The Fire Priestess held up a bottle of wine and winked. 

"You're buying?" 

---------- 

"Twelve... not bad for a novice." Masamichi remarked as he watched Shayla slug down another glass. They were both sitting on a bench outside of the courtyard. He was already on his ninth glass. Goodbye super-powers again. 

"Hah! Twelve's nuthin'! I'm just getting warmed up!" Shayla then poured herself another glass. This time she had a bit of a blush on her cheeks and looked a bit nervous. "Mr... sensei-teacher... there's something real... personal that I have to ask you..." 

"That's what I'm here for." 

Shayla chugged down the glass and took a deep breath before speaking in a slurred voice. "Whoze that Nanami tink she is anywaaayy with Trunk? Where zhe get off, huh?" 

Fujisawa smiled as he saw what was going on. "Well, I'm proud to say that they're both my students." 

"She really annoys me." 

"Aw come on now. It's not that bad." Fujisawa said while lifting his glass to his lips. HE stopped suddenly as a thought came to him. "By the way... just how old are you?" 

Shayla shrugged as she lifted another glass to her lips. "I'm nineteen." 

In a flash, the history teacher grabbed the glass out of her hands and stood up. "You shouldn't be drinking! You're underage!" "Huh?!" 

At that moment, a small bundle of energy charged in and tackled the Fire Priestess. "Sister Shayla!" 

"OOF!" The redhead found herself flat on her back on the bench as Allielle affectionately nuzzled against her breasts. 

"I've got some really important news for you!" 

"Well, what is it! Hey! Cut that out! Stop doing that!" 

"Aw, don't be so mean, sister Shayla!" 

"DAMN IT! TELL US THE IMPORTANT NEWS ALREADY!" Fujisawa shouted. 

Allielle then relented as she sat up. "Oh, right. Well the leaders of the Council want the Eye of God unsealed right away! They're really nervous about what's been happening and with Ifurita and the Bugrom on the loose, they feel that it was imperative that the Eye of God was ready." 

---------- 

A short time later, Trunks and the others were standing in an open field outside of the grounds of the palace. Once again, Trunks was in his Fatora disguise as he sat beside Princess Rune. The entire council of leaders was present along with the people of Earth as they watched the Three Priestesses enter a large, skinny tower that was about a mile high. 

Miz nodded to her colleagues as they stepped on a large, circular platform which became a glowing disc of light. The platform then rose, carrying the three women to the top of the tower like and elevator. 

Down below, Nanami sat beside Allielle as she watched them ascend. 

"Allielle, what is that thing?" 

"That's the Stairway to the Sky. It allows them to communicate with the Eye of God." 

"Oh." It was then that she noticed that Allielle had become attached to her arm and was cuddling up to her. "Hey, wait a minute. I thought you were the one who had the hots for that Shayla-Shayla." 

"Yup. But if you can't be with the one you love, well..." 

"Love the one you're with...?" Nanami finished for her, as she was getting nervous. 

---------- 

Atop the Stairway to the Sky, the Three Priestesses of Mount Muldoon nodded to each other as they went to three separate places on the communications platform. Each held out their hands before them, while focusing their powers. This caused twin control panels to emerge from the floor of the platform and extend toward their palms. When each priestess touched her controls, the platform began extending transmitting antennae to send the proper signals to the Eye of God, which was hovering more than ten miles above their heads. 

The center of the Eye of God began to rotate as pylons, which kept the main energy projector immobile, slid back. The projector moved about like some gigantic pupil as a storm began to brew over Florastika. Then, a sudden downpour appeared as the last seal on the Eye of God was released. There was a bright flash of light and then as suddenly as it started, the rain stopped. There was only clear blue sky as the ultimate weapon of El Hazard was now primed for use. 

Atop the Stairway to the Sky, the three females nodded as their control panels lowered themselves back down into the floor. Miz wiped her brow while taking a deep breath. 

"Whew! I'm tired!" 

Shayla smirked as she decided to tease her colleague. "Oh, I see. Looks like you're getting too OLD for the priestess biz, eh?" 

"Oh, what do you know?" Miz shot back with irritation. 

Afra gazed up at the Eye of God. "I hope everyone knows that there's no turning back." 

---------- 

Later that night... 

"We can finally rest easy, now that the Eye of God is activated!" One of the leaders said as the great celebration continued on in the palace. 

"Yes, and to think that we are actually dining with the Great Priestesses of Mount Muldoon!" Another leader agreed. 

Around the main dining hall, people were enjoying themselves as a false sense of security blanketed over them. However, Princess Rune, who was sitting at the head of the room, knew better. Even with the Eye of God unsealed, it was still a useless piece of machinery without TWO princesses to control it. Trunks may look like her sister Fatora, but he lacked the genetic makeup necessary to help her control the weapon. The unsealing of the Eye was only a show to get the other council leaders to relax and hold the fragile Alliance together. 

---------- 

At the Bugrom Citadel... 

"While I am aware of your enthusiasm at the language skills that our new general has taught you, I should have been consulted before you add any more glorification to his deeds." Queen Diva said to some of her followers as she pointed outside to a statue of Jinnai in the courtyard. 

"I don't mind at all." Jinnai said as he walked up to her throne. 

"Very well. As of now I give you our highest honor!" The empress said as she handed him a large medal to go with the others she had awarded to him. "I now proclaim you as the supreme commander of the entire invasion force of Roshtaria!" 

Jinnai laughed his maniacal laugh as he turned to his troops. "The hour of victory draws near! I have already sent our weapon, the Demon-God Ifurita to Roshtaria to crush all opposition!" 

---------- 

As the Demon-God was speeding toward Rostaria, her thoughts were of a certain, purple-haired boy who had affected her so greatly with just as simple touch. She shook her head as she neared the capital city of Florastika. She had been created to destroy, and to obey the master of the staff. That is her duty, her only reason for existence. 

---------- 

At the celebration, a newcomer appeared and made his way toward Princess Rune. Nearby, Nanami turned to Lons. 

"Hey Lons, who is that?" 

The Captain of the Guard nodded as he saw the man take Princess Rune's hand and kiss it. "He is the betrothed to Rune Venus. He is Prince Gallus of a nearby kingdom." 

"How cute! A marriage between the Phantom Tribe and Roshtaria!" 

Everyone became silent when they heard this and Gallus stiffened as he quickly turned about. 

"Nanami! Are you sure?!" Trunks asked. He KNEW that he sensed something strange about that character. 

Nanami nodded as she pointed to Gallus. "It's true! His skin be blue!" 

Gallus then chuckled as he decided to let down his illusions. "It seems that the time for this charade to end has come." There was a collective gasp as his skin turned blue and his hair became less groomed. His clothes shifted to take on a form of dark robes and pants. He then started laughing. 

"You were all foolish to think that unsealing the Eye would save you! See how the Royal Family of Roshtaria has deceived you!" He pointed to Trunks. "See for yourself of how useless you're ultimate weapon is!" 

At this point, Rune was so shocked that she fainted and Trunks rushed over to catch her. However, with his hands full, he was unable to stop Nahato as he appeared behind him and snatched off his wig. The crowds gasped as they saw that Princess Fatora was an imposter. 

Trunks growled as he turned to attack the smirking Phantom boy. However, Nahato disappeared from sight as Gallus continued to mock everyone present. 

"You shall all pay for your folly! HA HA HA HA HA HA!" 

An intense bright light appeared blinding everyone... well almost everyone. 

"Shit! Where did they go?!" Shaylas shouted as she and the other priestesses looked around. 

"It's obvious! They're already gone!" Nanami replied as she pointed toward the exit as the light faded away. 

At that moment, a huge explosion was heard nearby as Trunks felt the presence of an enormous power. 

"She's here... Ifurita." 

---------- 

In one of the nearby towers of the palace was chaos and destruction. Guards were either dead or unconscious as the Demon-God calmly walked by. The halls were littered with rubble and flames. One guard was still conscious and cringing in fear as Ifurita ignored him as she passed by. Though her mission was to destroy Florastika, she still needed to find something... someone first. 

---------- 

Trunks was flying down the hallway towards the source of the destruction. He had already changed into his regular clothes and had his sword strapped to his back. His Fatora disguise was cumbersome and ill-suited for battle, though if this person was Ifurita, it wouldn't really matter what he was wearing. On his face, he had his spare Scouter. When he came to where his opponent was, he winced as his senses detected the huge power levels she was emitting. The readouts on his Scouter were not encouraging either. They were far above his own. 

"Ifurita!" Trunks called out as he landed. 

The Demon-God stopped when she heard her name and turned as he landed. Her eyes narrowed as she looked over the youth before her. She pointed the end of her staff toward him, but refrained from firing. She then spoke to him in a cold and unfeeling tone. 

"Trunks. Your name is in my memory, though I have no previous knowledge of you. Explain your access!" 

"Huh?" 

"My memory had been sealed to all outside access. Why were you able to enter it? Explain now!" She emphasized the hidden threat by gesturing with her staff. 

Trunks paused for a long time as he considered his answer. Finally he said, "I saw your heart! Your innermost feelings! Your very soul!" 

Ifurita stiffly shook her head. "No heart! No feelings! I am not capable of such things! Explain yourself or perish!" 

Trunks knew that things were about to get ugly when Ifurita suddenly started emitting a golden aura. Though he knew that he was seriously outclassed, he followed suit by drawing his sword and transformed into a Super-Saiyan. The two most powerful beings on El Hazard faced each other off and waited for the other to make the first move. 

---------- 

On Earth... 

Vegita's eyes opened as soon as his Scouter started beeping. The sensors indicated that a Dragon Ball was near. The time had come. He stood up, took a deep breath and took off like a rocket. A minute later, he powered up to become a Super-Saiyan and his speed more than quintupled as he began the search. 

In another part of the world, Goten and his brother Gohan also took off. A minute later, they both split up and went off into separate directions, as their Scouters indicated the location of two other Dragon Balls. 

The search for the means to bring Trunks home had begun, but it may already be too late... 

End of the Fifth Night. 

Author's Notes 

Well, this has got to be the fastest story I ever posted. Five down and two more to go! We'll be seeing more of the Dragon Ball Z gang in the last two episodes as this story approaches its climax. Next time on Dragon Ball Hazard, the Sixth Night; Welcome Back Trunks!


	6. The Sixth Night - Welcome Back, Trunks!

**Dragon Ball Hazard**

By 

Hung (Animeaddiction) Nguyen 

Disclaimer: Oh boy! Fan fiction writing for more than three years, and I still got to disclaim! 

: Thoughts 

**The Sixth Night **

Welcome Back, Trunks! 

Trunks tensed up as he held out his sword. Though his Scouter was giving him very huge power readings on his opponent, the young Saiyan was well aware of what Ifurita was capable of. His senses were almost overwhelming him as the Demon-God began powering up in front of him. The ground began to shake as her energy levels started climbing at an extreme rate. 

Like the Androids sixteen, nineteen and twenty, Ifurita was 100% synthetic. Trunks could only use his senses to detect her energy when she was emitting them and when he was in close proximity to her. Though the readings that his Scouter were giving showing weren't exactly encouraging either. He had set it on its highest scanner range and it was STILL threatening to overload. 

_Power level... one hundred thousand... one hundred fifty... two hundred thousand... three hundred thousand... whoa! Two million already?! Ten million! One hundred million!_

A minute later, the Scouter gave up... 

**_FZZZZZAAAAAKK! CRACKLE! BAM!_**

The device blew out and fell to the ground in sparks and pieces. Though its destruction did not harm the Super-Saiyan in the least, its last reading before it exploded had been a sign that Trunks was in BIG trouble. 

_Five... billion!_ And he knew that she was just getting warmed up. 

"Enough! I do not experience emotions!" Ifurita declared as she stopped powering up and leveled her staff at him. 

"Yes you do!" Trunks insisted. "I FELT THEM IN YOU!" 

"It is time for you to die." She simply said as she prepared to fire. The son of Vegita braced himself for the imminent chaos and destruction. 

"HOLD IT! DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!" 

The two strongest beings in El Hazard turned to see Shayla-Shayla, Afra Mann and Miz Mishtal take a stand behind them. 

"It ends right here!" Shayla declared. 

"You've had your way for too long!" Miz added. 

"And now we're going to put a stop to you, once and for all!" Afra said. 

Ifurita however, was unimpressed as she turned her attention to the newcomers. She simply waited for them to make the first move. 

"I still haven't paid you back for the last time!" Shayla instantly activated the Lamp of Fire and leapt up in a nimbus of swirling fames. 

"NO! DON'T FIGHT HER!" Trunks shouted, but it was too late. 

The slave of Jinnai instantly duplicated Shayla's powers and took off to meet her in the air. The two collided in a massive explosion, and the Fire Priestess was knocked back. Shayla launched two fireballs at her opponent, but Ifurita simply shrugged them off. 

"That was pointless." She said simply, as Shayla was in a state of shock. She then sent a gout of flame at her opponent, which slammed into her like a battering ram. The redhead was sent flying back and hit a support column, causing it to crumble. She landed on the floor and moaned in pain as she knew that several of her ribs were broken. There was also some internal bleeding. and she found it difficult to breathe. 

"NO! SHAYLA!" Miz cried out as she focused her willpower into the Lamp of Water. The ring glowed with a blue light as Ifurita turned to face her next victim. "You're going to pay for that!" 

The moisture in the air began condensing as the Water Priestess manipulated the water into a solid shape. She then let off a cry of anger as she released a deadly torrent at her enemy. However, the Demon-God evade the strike with no effort. The attack exploded the balcony behind her. 

"Focused wave of water... amateur." Ifurita said without emotion. This got Miz even more riled up as she summoned up a barrage of solid water projectiles at the Demon-God. However, Ifurita deflected the shots with her staff and summoned up her own water attack. 

"It is a simple manipulation of water molecules." Ifurita then demonstrated her own mastery of Miz's ability and sent a huge blast of hardened water at the Water Priestess. 

Miz brought up a shield of water for protection, but it was not enough as Ifurita's attack blasted through the barrier and plowed into her. She was sent crashing into a pile of rubble and was out cold. 

The Demon-God then faced off against the last Priestess. "Do you know why I am the most feared of all the Demon-Gods?" 

Afra Mann braced her self for any attack. 

"I have the ability to recreate any weapon or method used against me." Ifurita continued. "I grow stronger with each battle! I have also the experience of thousands of warriors, including the Golden Champion! My power is virtually unlimited!" 

Trunks became very pale when he heard this. _She's... just like the way father described Cell!_

"THAT MEANS NOTHING TO A CHIEF PRIESTESS OF MOUNT MULDOON!" Afra shouted as she activated the Lamp of Wind. She then let loose with a high-pressure blast that tore up the floor and made a direct hit on Ifurita. However, that had NO effect and Ifurita nodded. 

"Effective. A simple air-vacuum. I believe you call that a Badger's Slash? I have gained yet another weapon." Without a second thought, she let loose with an air-blast that was a hundred times more powerful than Afra could ever hope to accomplish. Afra felt her body being ravaged by sharp, rasping winds before she was thrown back and hit hard against another stone column. Her right shoulder was dislocated and she gained a concussion in the bargain as she fell to the floor. 

Trunks gritted his teeth. He knew that Ifurita was only playing with them as they could never hope to be a match against her. He was also aware that the Demon-God considered him as no threat, as she was delaying his execution to deal with what she considered as annoying gnats. 

"You see? I AM the most powerful!" Ifurita taunted as she leveled her staff to finish off the Three Priestesses. Shayla was the only one that was still conscious as she tried to summon up her powers. However, she didn't have enough energy to light a match. Ifurita was about to deliver the final blast. 

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" 

Ifurita turned to see the blazing gold light of a very angry Super-Saiyan hurtle toward her. 

---------- 

"Where's Trunks?" Nanami asked as she met up with Mr. Fujisawa in one of the other hallways of the palace. Guests and guards were running about in a state of panic as chaos continued. 

Suddenly, there was a sudden rumbling, causing everyone to scream out louder. Then , two bright explosions suddenly flared off near one of the towers and two golden streaks of light rocketed up toward the sky. 

The history teacher pointed up to the bright flashes of light. "I think he may be up there." 

The two kept on running and soon came upon the place where the priestesses were. They came upon Shayla-Shayla as she managed to sit up. 

"Shit! If... only I hadn't... used up all my energy... unsealing the Eye of God..." 

As Nanami and her sensei went to the priestesses' aid, the redhead looked up at the sky as two darting lights continued to flare in the sky. 

_Now... it's all up to you... Trunks._

---------- 

Unfortunately, Trunks was still not up to the task. 

"KAME HAME HA!" 

A huge blast of ki energy was launched from the Super-Saiyan's open palm, but his opponent dodged the attack and fired off several beams in retaliation. Trunks blurred to avoid the barrage and reappeared behind her. He swung his sword at her, but she instantly twisted to block the blade with her staff. 

The two began trading thrusts, parries, stabs and counter-slashes at speeds too fast for the human eye to follow, but while Trunks was a Super-Saiyan, even he had his limits as he battled Ifurita in the sky. 

"DESTRUCTO DISC!" 

Trunks flew back to get some fighting room and launched several of Krillan's spinning ki blades. But, Ifurita's speed proved to be too fast as she evaded all of the deadly projectiles. Two of the discs flew down and chopped off the top of the east tower of the Roshtarian palace. Fortunately, no one had been inside at the time. 

As Ifurita was busy dodging the discs, Trunks took this opportunity to focus his power. He raised a hand with his index and middle finger extended and pointing them to his forehead. Soon, a small but concentrated ball of ki was formed as he pointed those fingers at Ifurita. 

"SPECIAL BEAM CANNON!" 

Piccolo's move, a beam of intense energy with swirls was fired at the Demon God, but once again, she evaded it by vanishing from sight. 

"NO!" Trunks realized that his attack was going to hit the center of Florastika, and pulled up on his arm. He mentally took control of the beam's flight and forced it to turn up and away from hitting the city. The shot pulled up and rocketed to disappear into the night sky. 

That was when Ifurita appeared behind him. Trunks barely managed to turn around and block with his sword as she swung her staff at his head. 

**_SNAP!_**

Trunks found himself in a state of shock as he looked down at his sword. Half of the blade had broken off from the strain of battle and that last blow. The shattered portion was now falling toward the ground. 

"You are quite talented." Ifurita commented as she hovered before him. "Thanks you, I now have several NEW attacks to my arsenal!" 

Before Trunks could react, she blurred and reappeared behind him, driving one end of her staff into the small of his back. She swung hard with her weapon, knocking the ruined sword out of the youth's hands, then delivered several more blows of the staff. After pummeling him a few more times, she delivered a vicious spin kick to his head, which caused him to lose focus and plummet down toward the ground. She sent a Kamehameha and several Destructo Discs at him to add insult to injury. Trunks managed to dodge the discs, but the attack that was Goku's signature move, hit him hard and caused him to drop like a falling meteor. 

---------- 

"LOOK OUT! INCOMING!" Nanami shouted as she saw something hurtle down to where she and her friends were. Mr. Fujisawa had just started sobering up again and swept up the fallen priestesses and his student into his arms. They high-tailed it away from the impact zone as Trunks slammed into and through a tower before landing near where his friends had fallen in battle against Ifurita. He made a very large crater in the main courtyard, causing a huge cloud of dust to be turned up and aftershock to reverberate throughout the area. 

Nanami and Mr. Fujisawa huddled behind a wall as they looked over to where Trunks had landed. They saw that Trunks was flat on his back and moaning in great pain as his hair darkened to its normal color and became limp. His clothes were dirty and tattered from his battle. His power levels began dropping quickly and he knew that the end was near as Ifurita landed down in front of him and pointed her staff at him. 

"NO! TRUNKS!" Nanami tried to run toward them, Mr. Fujisawa held her back, knowing that it would have been suicidal. Shayla-Shayla also could do nothing but look on helplessly. Her colleagues were still unconscious and she had no strength left to help the boy with whom she had become smitten with. 

At the center of the crater, Ifurita looked down at her defeated foe and prepared for the deathblow. "You have great power. However, I have won. Now, I know ALL of your techniques." 

Trunks saw that if he didn't act quickly, he was going to find out what it would be like to die as Goku and Vegita had. Only in this case, there were no Dragon Balls on El Hazard to bring him back. He had to try a desperate gamble. Though is strained him to do so, Trunks lifted his head and held up his hands with fingers spread toward his face. 

"Not... quite... Ifurita... You don't know them all! SOLAR FLARE!" 

Night momentarily became day as the Saiyan released his technique, which blinded everyone who saw it. The light that Trunks emitted was so bright, that even Ifurita flinched and was caught off-guard for a moment. With the last of his strength, he managed to get to his feet and touched the Demon-God's face with his hand. His special power activated as soon as he made skin contact and the two minds were once again linked. 

---------- 

In his mind, Trunks saw the carnage and destruction that was wrought during the Holy Wars. He saw Ifurita at the center of such violence. He observed glimpses of her battle with the Golden Champion and her being sealed away by the Ancients of El Hazard. Then he saw her first memories after she had been reawakened, which were images of himself. 

In Ifurita's mind, she saw Trunks as a baby as Future Trunks came to help against Cell and the Androids. She saw him as an eight-year-old as he trained with Goten and competed in the Junior Division of the World Martial Arts Tournament. She couldn't help but smile as she witnessed the boy silence an egotistical bully with one kick and knocked Mr. Satan to the other side of the arena. Then she saw something that put her into a state of shock. It was the scene at Shinnanome High School where the person who sent Trunks to El Hazard was... herself. 

_NO! That's me!_

The two began sharing more memories as their entire lives became like open books to each other. Finally, they both witnessed a scene of total devastation. 

_These memories... they can't be the only ones that you have..._ Trunks said with his mind. 

_I was created to be the perfect fighting weapon._ Ifurita replied. _If commanded, I will destroy all that stands against me. I obey only the master of the Power Key Staff._

The two faced each other as the memories faded away into nothingness. As they came back to reality, they continued to gaze at one another with a kind of longing. There was only silence as their eyes maintained contact. Finally, Ifurita bowed down her head and closed her eyes. She had lost the will to fight and decided to leave. She flew off and disappeared over the horizon of the evening sky. 

Trunks broke out of the spell that he was in and collapsed to the ground. 

Nanami ran up to his fallen form and cradled him in her arms as she knelt down. 

"Trunks! Trunks! You did it! You saved us all!" 

The half-Saiyan could only shake his head slightly. All he had done was win a reprieve. The next time he fought Ifurita, it would be their final battle. 

---------- 

Some time later... 

"The Three Priestesses of Mount Muldoon had sustained many serious injuries and... I am afraid that they are... fatal." Dr. Schtallebaugh said as he put away his stethoscope. Nanami, Trunks, and Mr. Fujisawa were standing beside him at the side of the bed that the Water Priestess had been laid on. The other two Priestesses were in separate rooms. Trunks had a bandage wrapped around his head and his right arm in a sling. He had landed on it when fell and had sprained it. He also had several bruised ribs and a few burns after being hit by a massive Kamehameha Wave. His torn jacket was lying on the bed. Though he had taken major punishment, his Saiyan heritage had allowed him to endure. The priestesses however, were a different matter altogether as Dr. Schtallebaugh gave the diagnosis. 

"Priestess Miz is starting to slip into a coma, and both Afra Mann and Shayla-Shayla have serious internal bleeding problems as well as massive organ damage. I fear that they will not survive the night. Our healers can do nothing against injuries of this magnitude. It is a dark time indeed for Roshtaria and all of El Hazard." The Royal Advisor shook his head sadly. 

Trunks frowned as he had known that they hadn't the slightest chance against the Demon-God, yet they fought her anyway. He also knew that he had the means to save them. Reaching into his pocket, he took out the last of his Senzu Beans. Though he had considered taking one to restore his injuries, and become stronger in the process to face Ifurita again. However, he felt that it wouldn't make much of a difference and the priestesses needed the beans more. He held out the beans and addressed Dr. Schtallebaugh. 

"Dr. Schtallebaugh? I have something here that could help." 

---------- 

"Amazing! Simply amazing!" Dr. Schtallebaugh remarked as he watched Afra Mann sit up from her bed. "Young Trunks continues to astound us all!" 

Afra found herself surprisingly refreshed and she felt stronger and healthier than she ever felt before. She began unwrapping the bandages on her forehead, and arms and saw that the terrible cuts and bruises she had gained were gone. There was a blessed absence of pain and she felt as if she had spent an entire month at Arliman. 

"What was that thing I just ate?" 

"The otherworlder Trunks had some kind of magical healing items that he called... Senzu Beans, yes that was it. They healed all of your injuries and Priestess Shayla-Shayla." 

"What about Priestess Miz?" 

"Trunks had done something else to get out of her coma. I'm not certain how he did it, but he placed his hand on her head and gave her some of his.... what was it he called it? Oh yes! He called it ki. Once Miz awakened, he gave her the last of his Senzu Beans to heal the rest of her injuries. Mr. Fujisawa is watching over her while she's resting." 

"The last? You mean... there aren't any more of these wondrous beans?" 

The advisor shook his head. "No, I afraid not and there are many in the palace that could use them. However, through some great miracle, there were only five fatalities among the Royal Guards and the rest will eventually recover from their injuries. None of the Council Leaders or guests were harmed. Trunks assures me that he will be fine, even though he took a horrible beating from Ifurita." 

"He didn't use one of the beans to heal himself?" 

The dean shook his head with a slight smile. "Trunks said that you three needed them more than he did. He is a very unusual, yet special young man." 

"Yes... he is." Afra agreed quietly as she thought about the man who had saved her. 

---------- 

In another bedroom, Mr. Fujisawa was just starting to doze off as he sat at Miz's bedside. He started to snore which awakened the priestess. Miz looked to her side and smiled as she realized that he must had stayed up all night, watching over her. 

She then began to sob as she thought back to her dismal defeat at the hands of Ifurita, which awakened the history teacher. 

"Oh! Good, you're awake!" Trunks' sensei said as he leaned closer to her. 

"Dear, sweet Masamichi... sob... I'm totally useless!" 

"What?! What are you talking about?" 

"No! Don't look at me! I don't want you to see my weakness!" Miz covered her face with her hands and turned away. "Instead of being a powerful chief priestess, I let everyone down!" 

"Oh come on now! You fought bravely." 

"You're just saying that to make me feel better!" 

"No I'm not! You did more than anyone could've done!" Masamichi assured. 

Miz wasn't listening as she continued to bemoan her situation. "If I had known that my career was going to come to this, I would have retired and married a long time ago!" 

"Nonsense! You shouldn't let things like this get you down." The history teacher said as he took on a more confident tone. "Not while I'm around." 

Miz stopped crying when she heard this. "Do you mean that?" 

"I mean it." 

Miz smiled as she now had him right where she wanted him. "I just have one favor to ask." 

Being the gallant gentleman that he was, Fujisawa opened his mouth... and put his foot into it. "Ask away my dear. If there's anything at all that I can do for you, I'll do whatever it takes. You can count on it." 

Gotcha! 

Miz quickly sat up and took Fujisawa's hands into her own. "I want you to marry me!" 

"HUH?!" 

Miz's eyes became glassy as she went on. "I've already asked Dr. Shtallebaugh, and he's agreed to officiate over our vows!" 

"WHA?!" 

"I can reserve the church for the ceremony and reception!" 

_Me and my big mouth!_

---------- 

Kami's Lookout, Earth... 

_King Kai, this is Dende. Can you hear me?_

In Otherworld, the Kai of the North nodded as he replied telepathically. _Yes, I'm still here. I have good news! I found Trunks! He was transported to a very distant dimension called El Hazard._

The Namek Guardian of the Earth smiled as he also related some good news. _That's great! Gohan had told me a few minutes ago that he, Goten and Vegita have already found four of the Dragon Balls. We should have them all soon. Bulma managed to get her old Dragon Ball Radar working again and Goku is now joining in the search._

_Excellent! Notify me as soon as all seven Dragon Balls are gathered._

---------- 

Back on El Hazard, in the Bugrom Citadel... 

"How could you let that thorn in my side, Trunks escape?" Jinnai grunted as he continued to wind Ifurita's Key Staff. " I'm busy trying to conquer El Hazard without having to worry about him!" He grunted again as he continued to turn the staff. "Damn! I thought you only needed winding every ten years or so!" 

Ifurita gave her master a disdainful look. "I expend far more energy in battle! The least you can do is w-!" The Demon-God suddenly slumped forward and became unsteady for a moment. 

Jinnai became even more irritable as he pulled out the staff. "What? What's wrong now? Do you have some kind of warranty that I should have known about?" 

Ifurita straightened up and then took her staff back. Without a word, she left the room. 

Jinnai snorted and said to himself, "They don't Demon-Gods like they used to." 

As the weapon from the Holy Wars walked down the halls, she began to falter as her mind became more confused. She still saw the face of that boy in her subconscious and remembered the effect his touch had on her. 

"I... live only to suffer... and to bring suffering to others. If there is an end to this existence... I wish for nothing else." 

---------- 

Roshtaria... 

Trunks continued to stare out from the courtyard at the horizon with a forlorn look in his eyes. He couldn't get the image of Ifurita out of his head after he had made contact with her mind again. He wondered if he was going nuts for having feelings towards something that was a machine. Then again, Krillan and Android 18 seemed to hit off nicely and even had a daughter. However, Android 18 had started out as a human. Ifurita had been built from scratch. 

Somewhere else in the palace, Allielle was looking for Shayla or Nanami but wasn't having luck at finding either. She soon came across Trunks' living body armor Ura, as she was taking another catnap on a bench near the courtyard. 

"Ura? Have you seen Nanami or Sister Shayla?" 

The objects of her unwanted affections were hiding behind a pillar and peeking around it to observe the Saiyan who was standing in the courtyard. 

Shalya was crouched down with Nanami leaning over her. 

"So what are you waiting for? Go ask him!" Nanami whispered as she pushed the Fire Priestess forward. 

Shalya angrily turned and said, "Hey! Stop pushing, and why am I elected?" 

"Don't start playing games now! You and I both saw the look on Trunk's face! Something more than just a passing gaze passed between him and that Ifurita." 

Shayla became a bit worried and concurred. "They did stare for a long time." 

"That's why we've got to find out just what is going on between them!" 

"Okay, you're right." 

"Well, what are you waiting for?!" Nanami pushed Shayla forward again. 

"Will you stop shoving?!" 

"I guess you don't care if Trunks runs off with that Demon-God bimbo, do you?" 

Shayla blushed a bit as she denied it. "NO! Why should I care? It's none of my business!" 

"Who are you trying to kid?! It's a wonder your nose isn't growing! Go over there and ask him!" 

"If you're so fired up about it, why don't you ask him?!" 

This time it was Nanami who got all flustered. "Er, I don't have the time for that." Shayla didn't believe a word of it. "Oh no, of course not." 

The two girls finally summoned their courage and began approaching the half-Saiyan. When he did not immediately turn to their presence, they spoke in the same voice... 

"Listen... Trunks? Its that..." 

"Ifurita." Trunks said in longing tone. He wasn't actually saying it to anyone, but the two females heard him loud and clear and felt their worlds crumbling around them. 

---------- 

"You're right, Ura. It's all so boring!" Allielle remarked as she sat down beside the cat. It was at that moment she heard a cry of anguish. 

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGHHHHH!!!" 

The lesbian servant girl became excited as she saw Shayla race past her at a fast clip. 

"Ooh, Sister Shayla! Out for some jogging? I can do that too!" She got up and began pursuing the anguished redhead. 

---------- 

Back in the courtyard, Nanami was currently strangling Trunks. 

"OOH! HOW LONG HAS THIS THING BEEN GOING ON BETWEEN YOU AND IFURITA?! DON'T LIE OR I'LL BREAK YOUR SAIYAN NECK!" 

Trunks had a feeling that Nanami was going to break his neck in any case. In his weakened condition, she might just do it. "C-Come on, Nanami! I-I can explain! Calm down! I'm injured, remember?" 

---------- 

Shayla chugged down her ninth glass of wine as she and Mr. Fujisawa sat outside of the palace kitchen. 

"Damn that bastard!" 

"Hey, take it easy! That's my private stash!" The history teacher warned. 

"Aw, don't be such a stingy! You know, I don't have very much patience for your gender right now!" Shayla was so wrapped in her anger that she continued to fill her glass, even after it began overflowing. 

"Hey! You have no idea what I went through to steal that from the kitchen, AND YOU'RE WATERING THE LAWN WITH IT!" 

"That jerk! He ought to know how I feel!" Shayla said, not having heard Mr. Fujisawa. She then grinned as she turned to him and said, "Come on! I won't drink alone!" 

"You shouldn't be drinking. You're underage." 

Shayla groaned in frustration and cried out. "WILL YOU LAY OFF?! A PRIESTESS WITH MAN TROUBLE CAN GET TANKED IF SHE WANTS TO!" 

Mr. Fujisawa was about to say something else, but the look that the Fire Priestess gave him then made him reconsider. He shrugged and said, "Aw what the Hell!" He then chugged down the wine from the bottle. 

---------- 

Back on Earth... 

"Gohan! It's good to see you again!" Dende said as he saw his friend and his brother come in for a landing. Each half-Saiyan had two Dragon Balls in their hands. Standing beside the Namek, were Bulma, Vegita and their daughter Bra. The Saiyan Prince had two of the Dragon Balls on the floor. They were all waiting for Goku to arrive with the seventh and final Dragon Ball. It wasn't going to be long before they would be able to call forth the Eternal Dragon. 

---------- 

Meanwhile, in El Hazard, things had gone from bad, to worse, to downright bleak as the Bugrom Forces, under the command of Jinnai continued to advance deep into Roshtarian territory. Cities, provinces and even countries fell by the dozens from the onslaught. With the news of the Eye of God being worthless without both Roshtarian Princesses, moral had dropped to a new low among the allied nations. And the rumors of the Golden Champion returning were nothing more than false hopes as nothing stopped the insect race from nearing the capital of Florastika. 

---------- 

In the war room of the palace, Princess Rune became more apprehensive as her generals informed her that the Bugrom had conquered the territory of Dorisland, which was only a mere twenty leagues from the outer borders of Roshtaria. They had now set up a stronghold in which they would launch their next offensive. Nearby, Trunks and his group could only watch on helplessly. 

Things got even more bleak as another messenger came in and told his ruler that Phantom Tribe had used the ensuing chaos to take control of the Stairway to the Sky. 

"What?!" 

Everyone gasped as they began running out toward the observation deck. 

---------- 

Rising on the platform within the Stairway to the Sky, Gallus and Nahato were feeling smug. Their enemies were so busy fighting against each other, that they had let the Phantom tribe gain possession of the El Hazard's ultimate weapon. When they arrived at the top of the tower, they walked over to where the scientists and their controlling apparatus were situated. In the heart of the machine, stood Princess Fatora, being held up by some kind of repulsor field. The technicians activated the device, which caused Fatora to scream in pain as searing energy racked through her very being. 

---------- 

"I don't understand. I thought you said that the Eye of God needed two Princesses to control it." Trunks commented. 

Dr. Schtallebaugh nodded. "Yes, I did. However, it seems that the Phantom Tribe has somehow developed a means to overcome that problem. I see it all now. These chain of events were carefully manipulated from the start. Gallus had Princess Fatora abducted and instilled the fear of the Bugrom menace in the Council Members, to persuade the Royal Family and the Great Priestesses to unseal the Eye of God. Then they would seize control of it by using Princess Fatora. We were all duped by Gallus' treachery." 

The group all looked up as a beam of energy lanced up from the Stairway to the Eye of God. The massive machine began to throb with power as the main energy projector came on line. Then huge, bolts of ebony lanced out to form spheres of emptiness. Whatever these spheres touched would instantly be swallowed up into an inescapable limbo. 

---------- 

Gallus laughed atop the platform as his plans for vengeance was about to come to fruition. He was now commanding the most powerful weapon in El Hazard. Nothing can stop him now! 

However, fate took a hand in thwarting his plans as Fatora slumped over and the machine she was in stopped. 

"What's wrong?" Nahato demanded as the Eye of God stopped firing. 

The head technician sighed as he explained. "As we had explained before, we're not totally certain as to how to control the Eye of God." 

"Launch the second device!" 

"It will take us an hour to set it up." 

"We don't have the time! They'll be attacking us at any moment!" 

Gallus frowned as he saw something approaching fast from the east. "Too late." 

Nahato gasped when he saw her. "Ifurita!" 

The Demon-God sped down and with one swing of her staff, obliterated all of the Phantom Tribe guards and technicians. She then leveled her staff at Gallus and his boy servant. 

However, the two made their escape by descending down the platform of the Stairway to the Sky. 

Ifurita simply disregarded them as unimportant as she approached the device that held the Princess Fatora. She gasped when she saw that her face was identical to Trunks', but she quickly composed herself . In an instant, she was flying toward Jinnai's stronghold with a passenger... the Princess Fatora. 

---------- 

The Palace of Florastika... 

"What happened out there?" Trunks inquired as he saw the Eye of God suddenly stop. 

"I do not know for certain, but I fear that a terrible blow has been struck against the Alliance." The Royal Advisor replied. 

---------- 

Jinnai's Fortress... 

"I'll be damned! They could be twins!" Jinnai said as he looked into the cell which held Fatora. "Are you absolutely sure this is Princess Fatora?" 

"Yes." Ifurita answered as she too continued to gaze at her captive's face. 

Jinnai then growled as comprehension clicked in his head. "Grrr. I've got it! I finally got it! This is why that rodent Trunks was dressing like a drag queen! What a scam!" He began getting even more angry as she glared at her. "Just looking at that familiar face makes me go crazy! I get such violent tendencies! Then I want to do this, and that!" 

One of the Bugrom tapped on his shoulder and tried to calm his commander down. 

Jinnai shrugged off his arm and smiled. "Relax! I won't hurt her! Not so long as our little princess is an ace-in-the-hole for us!" 

---------- 

An hour later, a small group of Bugrom with Jinnai at the helm approached the borders of Florastika. The egomaniac spoke into a megaphone with his ultimatum. 

"ATTENTION! I BRING A MESSAGE TO PRINCESS RUNE VENUS OF ROSHTARIA! I, KATSUHIKO JINNAI HAVE CAPTURED PRINCESS FATORA! IF YOU WANT TO SEE HER ALIVE, THEN YOU WILL SURRENDER AND BOW DOWN BEFORE ME, A TRUE RULER! P.S... YOUR ASS IS FINALLY MINE, TRUNKS! WAH HA HA HA HA HA HA!" 

---------- 

Back on Earth, at Kami's Lookout, the seven Dragon Balls glowed as they were gathered in front of Dende. Behind him, the Z Fighters, their friends and their families waited as the Guardian of the Earth prepared to summon Sheng Long. 

---------- 

"What a horrible fix we are in." Schtallebaugh remarked as the Council Leaders, the Three Priestesses, Trunks and the others stood in the main audience hall with Rune Venus. 

"Princess, what are we to do?" Lons asked. 

Rune choked as she thought about the peril that her sibling was in. However, she was the ruler of a kingdom and the well-being of her subjects came before even her own family. In a faltering voice, she replied. 

"Surrender... is an option that we can never make." 

"You do realize that your sister's life will be sacrificed." Lons reminded. 

"A fate the Royal Family must accept. Fatora is well aware of the duties of her station." Rune was trying with all her might not to cry. 

"Yes, Your Highness." 

---------- 

The Dragon Balls flashed as Dende intoned the words to summon the Eternal Dragon. A bright column of light exploded forth from the spheres, which curled and twisted as Sheng Long appeared in all his scaly glory. The dragon of Earth had been modeled after the Chinese dragons of legend and was like a huge serpent with legs. 

"CHOOSE YOUR WORDS WISELY AND I SHALL MAKE TWO OF YOUR WISHES THAT IS WITHIN MY POWER, COME TRUE!" 

---------- 

El Hazard... 

"I'm sorry Princess Rune, but I don't agree." 

Everyone turned to look at the Saiyan as he stepped forward. 

Trunks took a deep breath. "With all due respect, your Highness, you've got to speak from the heart! Does your gut feeling tell you to sacrifice your own flesh and blood for the country? No way! I can't let you do it! I'll find some way to bring your sister back alive! I SWEAR!" 

---------- 

"Sheng Long! We wish that Trunks be transported back to Earth from El Hazard!" Dende shouted. 

"IT WILL TAKE MUCH OF MY POWER, BUT YOUR WISH IS GRANTED!" 

---------- 

"But Trunks! You're in no condition to face Ifurita and she's already kicked your Saiyan butt twice! If you face her again, you'll..." Nanami said in a choked tone. 

"I'll find some way to beat her! There's GOT to be a way and... what the?!" It was then that Trunks began to fade away. 

"What's going on?!" Shayla-Shayla cried out. 

Trunks looked down at himself and realized at that moment what was happening. _Mom and the others must be using the Dragon Balls on Earth to bring me back!_ However, too much at stake was happening. _No! Not Now! Not Now!_

Nanami and Shayla made a grab for Trunks while he was still semi-solid. On Earth, Sheng Long felt his power being strained to its limits as El Hazard was so distant and his hold on Trunks was being interfered by others. Seeing that he was about to lose contact, he decided that as long as he brought Trunks back, it didn't matter who was with him. 

Nanami and Shayla were engulfed by Sheng Long's power along with Trunks and vanished from that plane of reality. 

---------- 

Trunks, Nanami and Shayla-Shayla appeared in front of the crowds on Kami's Lookout. There was a terrific cheer as a certain blue-haired woman rushed to embrace her returned offspring. 

"TRUNKS! TRUNKS! YOU'RE BACK!" 

The Saiyan teen was nearly bowled over as Bulma put him into a bear hug that strained even his iron ribs. 

"M-M-Mom?!" His sister Bra also came up to join in a group hug. 

Both Shayla-Shayla and Nanami gasped when they heard him. 

"Mom?!" 

"She's his mother?" Shayla gasped, then gasped again as she looked up and saw the Eternal Dragon. "WHOA! WHAT'S THAT?!" She leapt back and had the Lamp of Fire ready. 

"NO! DON'T!" Trunks shouted as he tried to stop her. 

Fortunately, someone else flew down to land in front of her. Shalya-Shayla halted as she didn't want to incinerate an innocent bystander. 

However, her strongest Fire Attack wouldn't have singed this particular person. Goku gave Shayla a whimsical smile. "I wouldn't do that, if I were you. The Eternal Dragon can get really touchy at times." 

Meanwhile, back where Trunks was, as the crowds of friends and family gathered around him Vegita walked up to his son with a stern look on his face. "You have a LOT of explaining to do, son! Just what have you been doing?" He looked at his son's bedraggled and injured appearance and was a bit disgusted that Trunks was in such a state. He had thought that his offspring was made of sterner stuff. 

"Father! I... know that you all deserve an explanation, but I... can't right now!" 

"Why not? We have plenty of time!" 

"NO! You don't understand! I have to go back to El Hazard!" 

"What?!" Bulma said in total shock. "Trunks, you can't be serious! Do you realize the trouble we went through to get the Dragon Balls? We were all worried sick about you!" 

Everyone in the crowds nodded as Shayla and Nanami listened in on the conversation. 

"Just what is so important in El Hazard that you have to return to that place?" Vegita demanded. 

"There's a great and terrible power called Ifurita, and she's under the command of some maniac! She'll destroy that world if she isn't stopped! And she's even more powerful than Cell ever was!" 

There was a collective gasp as the Z fighters all remembered the Android Cell. 

"If that so, then you are certainly no match against such a being." Vegita gestured to his son's injuries. "Apparently, this Ifurita defeated you with ease." 

Trunks bit back on the memories of his previous encounters with the Demon-God and realized that it was time to swallow his pride and face facts. He bowed down his head and nodded with shame. "Yes... Father. I... wasn't prepared." 

Vegita snorted with a smug look. "So. After all the times I had reminded you to continue with your training, you finally had learned that lesson... the hard way! Perhaps I should thank this Ifurita for pounding some sense into you." 

"Even so, I have to get back to El Hazard! Millions of people will die or be enslaved. I gave my word that I'd save someone very important from Ifurita and that maniac Jinnai..." 

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Bulma cut him off. "You're home now!" 

Vegita nodded. "I have to agree with your mother." 

"But Father! I gave my word! YOU TOLD ME YOURSELF THAT THE WORD OF THE ROYAL FAMILY OF THE SAIYANS WAS UNBREAKABLE!" 

Vegita felt a pang of guilt as he remembered the sacrifice that his own father had to make when he promised his son to Frieza. However, he hardened his heart to his son's pleas. "What you say is true. However, how do you intend to keep your promise? You couldn't defeat this Ifurita and if you were to return to face her again to save this person, then you WILL die!" 

"I can beat her! I know I can! I just need MORE time and..." It was then that Trunks realized that he did have the means to gain the necessary power to beat the Demon-God. A desperate plan formed in the youth's mind as he glanced toward a certain door. He then whirled about to face Sheng Long. 

Since everyone had been listening in on the discussion between Trunks and his family, they had forgotten that the Eternal Dragon was still waiting to grant the second wish. Without even thinking, the son of Vegita made an impetuous wish. 

"Sheng Long! I wish that in fifty hours, Nanami, Shayla-Shayla and myself will be transported back to El Hazard a few seconds after we left it!" 

"YOUR WISH IS GRANTED!" 

Every one was in a state of utter disbelief as they heard the wish. The dragon faded from view as the Dragon Balls rose into the heavens before scattering to the ends of the Earth. 

"TRUNKS... WHY?!" Bulma gasped as she realized that she would again lose her son. 

Trunks took a deep breath as he began filling in the others on his adventures in El Hazard. "Mom, Father, everybody, I'd like you to meet my classmate, Nanami Jinnai and the Fire Priestess of Mount Muldoon, Shayla-Shayla." 

---------- 

Thirty minutes later... 

"And that's just about the whole story and why I have to go back." Trunks finished. He had purposely left out the fact that he had to dress up like a girl. 

"A very amusing tale, son." Vegita said. "However, that STILL does not explain that wish you made to the Eternal Dragon. Just WHAT do you expect to accomplish in two days?" 

Trunks took on a very serious expression as he replied. "You were right in saying that I needed to continue my training, even in times of peace. A true Saiyan warrior must always be prepared. Ifurita overwhelmed me by her greater power and experience, and I need to train in order to beat her." 

"You don't expect me to believe that you'll be able to gain enough power to defeat this Ifurita with just two day's worth of training, now do you? If she truly is more powerful than Cell, then two days is nowhere near enough!" 

"I will be strong enough.... if I were to train for two days in there." Trunks then pointed to a wooden door to a small building. 

Comprehension dawned on the Z Fighters as Mr. Popo realized what he intended to do. 

"Oh my! He intends to train in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber!" 

"Hyperbolic Time Chamber? What's that?" Nanami asked. 

Gohan nodded as he remembered his experience in that room. "That chamber is kind of like an accelerated, time line. A person can spend an entire year in it, though only one day will only pass in the real world. We used it to train against Cell." 

"Yes." Mr. Popo nodded. "And the maximum that anyone can spend in it is forty-eight hours. Any longer and the door to the real world would be closed forever. And the environment inside is quite intense." 

Vegita smiled as he saw the determination in Trunks' eyes. His son was finally living up to the spirit of the Saiyan race. 

Bulma began protesting. "Trunks! You can't do this! I..." 

"Let him do it." 

Everyone turned to Vegita after they heard him. 

"What?! What are you talking about?" Bulma demanded. 

"I said, let him DO it!" 

"But..." 

"Be quiet! It's not as if we can stop him now! You heard him make that wish! In two days, he will be transported back to El Hazard, and he will have to face Ifurita. It would be better for him to undergo the training or he will NOT survive the battle. In his current condition, even that fool Mr. Satan can beat him!" He turned to his son and addressed him in a stern voice. "If this is the only way that you will take your training seriously, then so be it! However, I expect you to be a true Saiyan when you come out of that room!" 

"Yes, Father. I will make you proud of me!" 

"Can't we ask the dragon to reverse the wish?" Bulma said desperately. 

Piccolo shook his head. "No Bulma, By now, the Dragon Balls have been scattered all over the Earth and turned into ordinary stones." 

"So that means, that it will take a whole year before we can use them again." Goku added. 

"That means, that we won't see you again... for an entire year!" Bulma sobbed. 

"A small price to pay for Trunks to become a true Saiyan!" Vegita commented as he showed no tender feelings or signs of regret. 

On one side, Shayla made a comment to Nanami. "What is WITH this guy? Is he really Trunks' father?" 

Nanami was still in a state of disbelief after witnessing the Eternal Dragon, talking to two green guys from outer space, and meeting up with the other Z Fighters. 

Bulma began crying even harder as she embraced her son. "Oh Trunks! I'm going to miss you so much!" 

Trunks returned the embrace as nodded. "I'm going to miss all of you too, but this is something that I have to do." 

It was then that his mother broke the embrace and said, "Wait a minute! You asked for fifty-hours, right?" 

"Yeah. I was hoping to get in a little bit of extra time to spend with all of you after my training and..." 

"Wait right here, son! Don't go into that chamber until I get back!" She ran over to where Goku was. "Goku, I need you to use your Instant Transmission and get me to the Capsule Corporation now!" 

The hero of the Earth shrugged as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Sure, Bulma." He placed two fingers to his forehead and the two of them vanished. 

---------- 

Thirty minutes later... 

"I'm afraid that I can't wait for Mom anymore." Trunks said as he was about to enter the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. He was fully healed after receiving a Senzu Bean from Korrin. However, just as he followed Mr. Popo to the door of the Time Chamber, Goku and Bulma reappeared beside them. 

"Hold it there, Trunks!" Bulma said as she had a large duffle bag on her shoulder. "I'm coming in there with you!" 

"M-M-Mom?! You can't be serious!" 

"What do you think you are doing, woman?" Vegita said. "Our son is going to undergo some very serious training! This is no place for..." 

"Oh hush!" Bulma said, cutting him off. "I know that Trunks has to do this, but he's not going to do it alone! I'm not going to see him again for a whole year, so I'm going to spend the next TWO with him!" 

"But Mom..." 

Bulma turned to address her son. "Don't worry, son. I know that you have to train hard to beat Ifurita, so I brought along some equipment that can help." She held up the duffle bag, which contained several capsules, one of which contained variable-controlled weights and a gravity-field modulator. 

"What do you know about training?" Vegita demanded. 

"Plenty." Bulma retorted. "My father had built the gravity room that you use and Goku filled me in on how he and Gohan had trained for the Cell Games. Trunks is going to be plenty strong when he comes out of that room. Besides, it's not like you can go in with him. You already used up your forty-eight hours during the Cell Games. I'm the one who's going to help Trunks train and that's FINAL!" 

Bulma's expression was so fierce that even Vegita hesitated. He saw the fire in her eyes and remembered why he had married her. He gave them a very slight nod and stepped aside. 

Trunks knew when he had to accept things and nodded as he and his mother were lead into the Time Chamber by Mr. Popo. 

---------- 

Two days later... 

Nanami and Shayla-Shayla were both on edge as they waited with the others at the door to the Time Chamber. They had spent the last two days at the Capsule Corp and Jinnai's sister had shown an awestruck Fire Priestess the wonders of her world. Shayla had especially become interested in a place called the mall, and the use of a magical item known as a credit card. 

However, through it all, they still thought about Trunks and how much he would be changed in two years. They would constantly ask the Z Fighters about Trunks' progress, and hoped that his training would be enough to take on Ifurita, when they returned to El Hazard. 

Vegita stood by with his daughter Bra as his senses began picking up an incredible amount of power emanating within the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. The others also began picking up the energy being produced. 

"Do you feel that?" Krillin asked as he, his daughter Marrin and his wife 18 stood together. 

Piccolo nodded. "Incredible! It's Trunks! He's even stronger than Gohan was when he fought Cell!" 

Gohan nodded as he, Videl and Pan stood together. "He's certainly improved a lot since he went in there!" 

"All right! Bulma did it!" Goku said. Beside him, his son Goten had become a bit nervous and made a silent note to start training hard. Otherwise, his friend would pound him flat during their next sparring session. 

Vegita showed no signs of emotion as he waited for the door to open. Slowly, but surely, the portal opened, and out stepped... Trunks and Bulma. 

Nanami and Shayla gasped as they took in the change that Trunks had underwent. He was much harder looking and his hair was longer. He was a bit taller with more muscle definition. Much of his hair was tied back into a loose tail. His clothes were torn and rumpled. He looked like Future Trunks when he had emerged from the chamber all those years ago, but with one difference. This Trunks was already transformed as a Super-Saiyan and was far more powerful. 

"Trunks? Is that you?" Nanami gasped. 

The half-Saiyan nodded as he spoke in a slightly lower tone. "Yeah. It's me. Though I'm nineteen now." 

Shayla perked up at this.. _He's my age now?_

Bulma had also changed a bit as her hair was down to her waist. She had a few more lines near the corners of her eyes, but she still carried herself with pride as she stood beside her son. 

Vegita nodded as he stood before his offspring and said, "Show me your power, boy!" He then triggered his transformation to a Super-Saiyan. 

Trunks nodded as he let loose with his ki. The entire are was covered by a near blinding, golden light as Kami's Lookout began to shake, rattle and roll. Some of the Z Fighters, along with Sayla-Shayla and Nanami were knocked off their feet and were pushed toward the edge of the platform. Fortunately, Picolo and Goku grabbed hold of them and held them tightly before they fell off. As the rest, they could already fly, and after they were pushed off, they simply levitated and hovered high above the Lookout. however, it was a struggle to keep aloft and hold their position as the father and son continued to amp it up. 

Vegita had been training hard since the Cell Games and the Maja Buu incident. Combined with Trunks' new power level, the shockwaves of their energy output was felt across the world as two Super-Saiyans let loose with ki. Cities and countries rocked as worldwide tremors were felt all over. It was fortunate that they were not on Earth, for their energies would have split open the planet's outer crust. 

Goku smiled as he assessed the power levels both were emitting. _Well, it looks like Vegita's still at the top of his game, but I can see that Trunks has radically improved since I last saw him. I can tell that both of them aren't even letting loose with even one-quarter of their full power!_

Bulma held on tight to a nearby railing and continued to watch her son. She had been so proud of his progress. Like Goku and Gohan, Bulma had decided that Trunks should train as a Super-Saiyan and get used to staying in that form for long periods of time. Once he was able to transform without any strain, he was then put through more intense training, starting with six hundred times the force of normal gravity, using the portable, gravity-field modulator she had brought with her. By the time the two years were over, Trunks was working out at one thousand times gravity. She also had him put on the variable-control weights to his limbs, adding more tons every month. She increased his speed by having him dodge high-speed lasers and homing torpedoes. 

Through it all, Bulma still maintained her motherly side and showed that no matter what happened, she would always love him. She also assured him that though his father never admitted it openly, he felt the same way. 

By the time they had exited the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, all of the training equipment had been either destroyed or burned out, but the end result had been achieved. As one final test, Vegita glared at his son and gestured up with a finger before taking off into the sky. Trunks followed an instant later, causing Kami's Lookout to shudder like the launching pad of the Space Shuttle. The two began to duke it out in the air, trading blows at hypersonic speeds. Shayla and Nanami couldn't even follow them as they could only see slight distortions and flashes of golden light. 

"What's going on?" Shayla gasped. "Where'd they go?" 

Once Kami's Lookout had stopped shaking, Bulma walked up to the pair and handed them two Scouters from her duffle bag. "They're moving too fast for normal eyes to follow. Here, I've modified these Scouters so you can be able to track them better." She then fitted another Scouter over her eye and ear and showed them how they worked, 

Viewing the fight through the devices, both girls could hardly believe it as they saw Vegita and Trunks go at it like maddened wasps. Even with the Scouters, they could only catch a little more of the fight as the two Saiyans blurred in and out. They caught a glimpse of Vegita landing a hard right cross to Trunks' chin. A nanosecond later, they saw Trunks deliver a kick to his father's midsection. Back and forth they blurred, sometimes blinding the spectators with flashes of ki. Eventually, the two reappeared, both hovering some hundred feet across from each other. Vegita then launched a massive beam at his son, one that would have destroyed a continent on Earth. However, his son countered with his own, and the two attacks hit head on, releasing an enormous flare of light as they canceled each other out. At that moment, the two rocketed toward each other. 

**_KABOOM!_**

Vegita's fist connected with his son's chin, just as Trunk's kick slammed into his father's abdomen. Everything seemed to slow down as the two flipped down to land on the platform of Kami's Lookout. The two stood in neutral stances, staring each other down. Everyone held their breath and waited. 

Then, the Prince of the Saiyans gave his son a small smile. "I suppose that was good enough of a warm-up for your fight with Ifurita. Your mother did a... fair job of training you. But then again, I wasn't even using one-tenth of my power." 

Trunks returned the smile. "Well, neither was I." 

"Fair?!" Bulma exclaimed with indignity. "I'll have you know that I did a GREAT JOB!" 

On the sidelines, Nanami and Shayla in a state of shock again. 

"Fair?" Nanami whispered. 

"Warm-up?" Shayla gasped. 

"That was only one-tenth?!" Both said at the same time. 

---------- 

A few minutes before the fifty-hour deadline... 

Trunks was now dressed in Saiyan Combat Armor that his mother had made for him as he, Shayla and Nanami prepared to head back to El Hazard. His hair had been trimmed back to its usual length and style. He had also received more than five years of supplies in capsules from his mother, which included a couple of self-maintained vehicles, some specially-designed Scouters, a Capsule House and enough food and clothing to maintain a platoon for a decade. With the way Trunks eats, that would last for about a year and a half. He began saying goodbye to his friends and family. 

"I hope to see you again, real soon!" Goten said as he took his childhood friend off to one side. 

"You know, you could ask the Nameks to use their Dragon Balls." Trunks suggested. 

Goten shook his head. "Your mother already thought of that. Dende got in touch with King Kai and he told her that the Nameks needed them to bring back the last of their people that Vegita killed. You know that Porunga can only bring back one person for every wish and there's a time limit as to how long a person can be dead before even he is beyond its power." 

"I see. So I guess I'm going to be in El Hazard for a full year." 

"Hey, it isn't so bad! We'll see each other again!" 

"Yeah, but I hope you start training, cause I'm going to kick your butt next time!" 

Goten winced as he knew that Trunks was right. He had better start training harder for the next time they would meet. He then changed the subject. "By the way, which one of those babes are you dating?" 

"Huh?" 

"Aw come on, Trunks! Spill the beans! Is it that cute Nanami or that hot Shayla-Shayla?" 

Trunks smiled as he asked, "Let me guess. They shot you down, while I was in that Time Chamber, right?" 

Goten's cheeks reddened. "Er. let's not get into that, all right?" He still had a slight burn after the Fire Priestess had flash-fried him when he tried to hit on her. 

Nearby, Bulma was trying to get some information from the two girls in question. 

"So which one of you is my son's girlfriend?" 

Both girls stiffened and their cheeks reddened at the casual question, then shook their heads in denial. 

"We're just friends, that's all!" Shayla said quickly. 

"Yeah, we haven't had time for that kind of stuff!" Nanami added. 

Bulma didn't buy it for a minute and was happy that her son had this kind of effect on the ladies. 

As Trunks faced the people he knew and loved one final time, he was approached by Korrin, who handed him a small pouch. 

"Here. There's about fifty Senzu Beans in there. That should hold you until you get back to us." 

"Thanks Korrin." Trunks placed the pouch into his duffle bag and then turned to face his father. 

Vegita stared at his son for a long time, then said gruffly, "Remember son, the blood of a Saiyan flows strongly in your veins. You carry with you, not only the pride of the Royal Family, but also that of our entire race! Never forget your heritage!" 

"Yes Father, I won't forget!" 

Vegita then lashed out and placed a hand on Trunks' chest. Releasing a concentrated amount of energy, he burned a specific pattern into the left side of the breastplate. When he removed his hand, his son looked down at the sun symbol that was now inscribed on his armor. 

"What?" 

"That is the Crest of the Royal Family. I hereby acknowledge you as my heir." Without another word, his father walked off to stand with the others. 

Trunks was left speechless. His father had never shown him this kind of attention before and though he still was as tight-lipped as ever, the half-Saiyan felt a great sense of pride in the act. 

At that moment, Bulma, Shayla and Nanami approached him. His mother handed him a capsule as she embraced him one final time. "Here Trunks. I think that this might come in handy." 

Trunks pressed the top of the capsule. 

**_BOM!_**

He gasped as he saw the object materialize in his hands. "It's my sword!" 

Bulma shook her head. "Actually, it's the sword that your future self left behind. I had it reforged and strengthened with the best alloys I could get. You'll find that it's much stronger than the one you made in shop class. I know that he would have liked you to have it." 

Trunks smiled as he pulled the sword slightly from its scabbard, then clicked it back into place before slinging over his back. "Thanks Mom." 

Tears began flow as Bulma smiled up at her offspring. "You've grown so much. I'm going to miss you for the next year. It's too bad that none of us can go with you." 

"I'm sorry Mom. I guess that if I had thought about it a bit more, I would have wished the dragon to send us all to El Hazard. But this is something that I have to do. I promised Princess Rune that I'd save her sister, and that's what I'm going to do! And I have to face Ifurita." 

"Take care, Trunks!" Bulma sobbed as she embraced him for one last time. 

At that moment, the time limit had expired and the Saiyan began to fade away. Shayla and Nanami also disappeared from view as they waved goodbye. Then, all was silent as the Z fighters gazed at where their friend and loved one had vanished. 

Off to one side, Vegita had his back turned, and a slight bit of moisture rolled down a cheek. 

"That's my boy." 

At that moment, everyone became startled as they felt the presence of someone approaching Kami's Lookout. They all turned to see someone land on the edge and gasped. 

End of the Sixth Night 

Author's Notes 

Whoa! Long chapter, but now I'm in the home stretch! Now I seem to have made some die-hard Dragon Ball fans unhappy with my version of Dragon Ball, so let me clear things up and answer some questions before moving onto the final chapter. 

1. Trunks' Sword: A lot of people have been saying that present-day Trunks had received his sword from Taipon during the twelfth Dragon Ball Z movie (or was it the thirteenth?). In any case, I really don't think much of the movies as they are horribly inaccurate with the regular timeline. The only times I ever seen the characters refer to the movies was during the Garlic Jr saga and the appearance of General Tao. In the manga, they're not even mentioned. World's Strongest and Tree of Might are other examples. When did those events occur in the regular timeline? Goku could do the Kaio Ken at level ten, but I thought he only learned how to do it during his trip to Namek. And after Namek, he became a Super Saiyan. If those movies occurred after that series, then couldn't Goku have transformed and kicked the bad guy's butt? 

As for Trunk's sword, I simply made up a plausible reason of how he got it during Dragon Ball Hazard. Future Trunks had left his sword behind, so Trunks simply had it analyzed and sneaked some super-strong alloys into school for his metal shop project. Simple, ne? 

2. The Saiyan Tail: Fans maintain that ALL Saiyans are born with tails and that Trunks and Goten had theirs cut off at birth to prevent them from changing into giant apes. Sorry, but that does not work for me because of several reasons. First of all, the storyline makes no mention whatsoever that Trunks and Goten were even born with tails, how does one KNOW that they had them? Secondly, being a biology major, I do know that since Gohan, Goten, Trunks, Pan and Bra are not pure Saiyans, (hybrids), their biological makeup makes them more subject to genetic chance. Heck, Trunks was born with light, purple hair, and fans maintained that all Saiyans have dark hair. Thirdly, even if Trunks had been born with a tail and had it cut off, wouldn't it have grown back? Gohan and Goku's did several times during their childhoods. 

In any case, in this story, Trunks had not been born with a tail, so that's that. 

3. The Scouter: True enough, that certain beings can hide their power levels and fool the Scouter, but it can only read the level in which the being is currently emitting. Furthermore, the Scouter can detect a synthetic life form while ki senses cannot. The Z Fighters had a hard time trying to find Androids nineteen and twenty. They could have used the Scouters then. In Dragon Ball Hazard, Ifurita can be considered as one hundred percent artificial, like Android 16, 19 and 20, so having a Scouter would be useful to measure her. Furthermore, the modified Scouters that Bulma had created will prove to be very useful in the final chapter. 

4. Translations: Personally, I don't really care if an anime or manga is subtitled or dubbed as I care more for the story itself. It's easier for me to write from the English language versions, since they are easier to get a hold of. There are some anime that I preferred to have remained subtitled (Like the Irresponsible Captain Tylor. Crispen Freeman was a bad choice for Tylor), but in the long run, if it's good, then who really cares? I watch anime because I enjoy it and that's what inspires me to write fan fictions. 

5. My Writing Style: As I had mentioned in my previous web pages, I go my own way in writing my stories and I do not depend much on the original scripts. I find that writing too close to the original is too constricting and it doesn't leave much to the imagination. I prefer alternate reality stories and you can think of Dragon Ball Hazard as like that. I simply used the end of the Maja Buu series for a basis and went from there. In this universe, Gohan isn't as strong as people say he was because he's spent more time studying than training. Trunks and Goten have lived in peace, so they aren't as strong as they should be, etc. 

When people read my fanfics, they should have learned by now that I won't follow the original word for word. If an idea seems like a good idea, then I'll use it. That's what fanfic writing is all about. There are no rules except for the ones that the writer puts upon himself/herself. So don't be too worried that my stories go off track. They're supposed to do that! I'm only writing to enjoy myself and entertain my readers, that's all. 

In any case, the final chapter of the Dragon Ball/El Hazard fusion is up as Trunks faces off against Ifurita for the final time. Next on Dragon Ball Hazard, the Seventh Night, Champion of Gold.


	7. The Seventh Night - Champion of Gold

** **

Dragon Ball Hazard 

by 

Hung (Animeaddiction) Nguyen 

Disclaimer: This has GOT to be the fastest story I have ever posted, and the third one that I finished. So I guess it deserves a proper disclaimer. Well... I can't think of one at the moment, but I know that this story deserves one. 

: Thoughts 

** **

The Seventh Night 

Champion of Gold 

El Hazard... 

Rune Venus and the rest of her court gasped when they saw Trunks, Nanami and Shayla-Shayla suddenly vanish from sight. For a moment, there was silence as everyone was too shocked to speak or move. Then, as suddenly as they disappeared, the two women and the son of Vegita reappeared in the throne room. 

Mr. Fujisawa let off a startled sound as he saw his students and then everyone's eyes turned to the youth who was dressed in full Saiyan Battle Gear, with a replica of his broken sword strapped to his back. 

Trunks looked harder and that innocent look that he once carried was gone. He was serious... dead serious. He was a bit taller and seemed... older, like a warrior that had been seasoned by numerous battles. In a way, he was; after spending two days in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, which was the equivalent of two years. For twenty-four long months with no one but his mother Bulma to keep him company, Trunks had endured heavy gravitational forces, incredibly thick atmosphere, and temperature extremes that would have broiled or frozen an ordinary person in seconds. Then there were the training exercises that his mother had put him through. He had spent long hours dodging lasers, missiles, and battling several waves of war-bots; all under the influence of the portable gravity-wave generator. He had no idea that Bulma could have shrunk all those things into those capsules, but she did. And his mother had proven to be as hard a taskmaster as his father. 

However, the training had its desired results. Trunks no longer had to strain to transform into a Super-Saiyan. He had spent the majority of his training sessions in his enhanced form, and now it was almost second nature to him. Like Goku and Gohan had done during the Cell Games, Trunks had built up his body to battle as a Super-Saiyan for long periods of time, and had more than enough power to match Ifurita's level. And if he needed to, he could power up to the next level to overcome whatever Ifurita could throw at him. Physically, he was ready. Mentally however, he still had his doubts. 

Ever since he had merged with the Demon God's mind, he had been getting these strange sensations. He felt... something that he couldn't explain and it scared him a bit. He couldn't get the image of her face out of his mind, no matter how hard he tried. He wondered why he was feeling so unsure about destroying her, though he couldn't think of any other way. He felt torn. He had seen the sadness in her soul. But she wasn't even real so she couldn't have a soul... could she? 

No! He was being foolish. Ifurita had been created to destroy, to kill. She was a weapon, plain and simple. She didn't have a heart. She said so herself! She wasn't like Krillin's wife, 18. Number eighteen had started out as a human being before Dr. Gero had changed her. However, she proved that she was still human inside and even gave birth to a daughter! 

Ifurita had been built from scratch and it would be a terrible mistake for Trunks to even think of her as anything else! Such thoughts could get him killed and he would have to give it his all to beat her. That was the reason why he trained so hard in the time chamber. End of discussion... or was it? 

"Trunks! Shayla! Nanami! What happened?!" 

His sensei's words brought the young half-Saiyan back to reality as he gave his teacher a nod. "It's... okay, sensei. Shayla-Shayla, Nanami and I just... went on a little side trip." 

"I'll say! We were back on Earth!" Nanami remarked as she addressed her teacher and the others with excitement. "You wouldn't believe what was waiting for us there! There were these two green guys that looked like Martians, a little black guy in a turban, some other guys who were like Trunks, a talking cat that grew these magic beans, and this big dragon..." 

Trunks held up a hand to Jinnai's sister, cutting her off. "We'll have time to explain it all later, Nanami." He then turned to address Princess Rune. "Your Highness, as I had said before, I WILL save your sister and bring her back to you. I swear by the blood of the Saiyan Royal Family that Fatora will be returned safely." 

This caught Rune's attention. "Are you saying that... you are of royal birth?" 

The young warrior sighed and nodded. "I am Trunks, son of Vegita, the Prince of all Saiyans." 

"I see..." Rune said with some awe as she gazed that the youth in armor. "But what of the Demon-God Ifurita?" 

Trunks took a stance and said in a determined tone. "I will deal with her." 

At that moment, he triggered his transformation and became a Super-Saiyan. Though Afra, Miz, Masamichi and Allielle had seen the transformation before, they were still in awe at the sight as Trunks began emitting incredible power and his hair turned gold. For Lons, Schtallebaugh and especially Rune Venus, it was like witnessing... a god. Rune could only gasp at the sight. 

In a very quiet whisper, the princess breathed out the last words of the prophecy. "...and the Golden Champion shall return... to save us all." 

Trunks powered down his energy, but remained in his Super-Saiyan form as he addressed the priestesses and his friends. "You don't have to come with me. I'll save Fatora myself and..." 

Fujisawa shook his head as he stepped up and said, "Sorry Trunks, but you're going to have to count me in. I, Masamichi Fujisawa am always ready to save a damsel in distress!" 

Shalya nodded as she said, "I wouldn't miss this for the world. I'm going too!" 

"It's a matter of pride. I'm going!" Afra said. 

Miz giggled a bit as she snuggled up to her man, Masamichi. "My last job, before I become a housewife!" 

Nanami nodded as she said, "I'm going too!" 

"Same here!" Allielle said. 

However, Mr. Fujisawa placed one hand on each of their heads and said, "You two are staying put this time. Safe!" 

Nanami turned to protest but she could see that her sensei wasn't going to change his mind. She then gave him a pleading look. "Mr. Fujisawa... my brother is to blame for all this, so when you see him... promise to me that you'll kick his sorry butt!" 

---------- 

Princess Rune and the rest of her royal court stood on the balcony as they watched the cruiser take off to where the Bugrom had set up a stronghold and were holding her sister captive. 

"Our hopes and futures now depend on those brave souls." Dr. Schtallebaugh remarked as the ship headed off into the distance as the sun dipped toward the horizon. 

---------- 

Trunks was deep in thought as he stood on the deck of the ship. He had decided to conserve energy and had reverted back to his normal form. At his side sat Ura. Though he didn't need the cat to act as his armor, since he now wore Saiyan Combat Gear, Ura still insisted on coming with her new master. It was then that Shayla spoke to him. 

"Are... you going to be all right this time, Trunks?" 

"Huh?" 

"She will be there... Ifurita." 

"I know..." Trunks replied as he mentally prepared to face off against the Demon-God. 

---------- 

Just on the border of Roshtaria's outermost territories... 

"That is the Bugrom Stronghold." Afra stated as she pointed to the huge, hive-like structure that was in the distance. The group was now situated on a ridge that overlooked a large expanse of rocky terrain. 

Shayla's temper, along with her flames started to flare. "Grrr, how dare those filthy bugs build that thing in Roshtaria's front yard?!" 

"Well... I could just blast that thing to rubble, but..." Trunks began. 

"But we came here to save Princess Fatora." Afra finished. "Without her, the Eye of God cannot be controlled." 

"Right. So how do you think we should go about getting in there?" 

"That's going to be tricky." Afra held a hand to her chin in thought. 

At that point, Miz kneeled down and placed her hand on the ground. The Lamp of Water glowed on her finger as she focused her power. 

"I can sense an underground river running beneath us... and it seems to run directly under the fortress!" 

Shayla smiled as she nodded. "Looks like we've found our way in!" 

Trunks nodded as well while turning to his teacher. "So how's your alcohol level?" 

Fujisawa smirked as he gestured to himself with his thumb. "Don't worry about me, kiddo! I'm as dry as a desert!" 

"Good, so are we all ready?" 

"Hold on a minute." The sober sensei took out his pack and extracted the last of his cigarettes. "I've been saving my last cigarette for such an occasion." Just as he reached for his lighter, Shayla held up a thumb and lit the cigarette with a spark. Mr. Fujisawa smirked as he said to the Fire Priestess, "Well that's handy." 

A minute later, after taking several long puffs, he extinguished the cigarette and said, "Okay! Let's do it!" 

---------- 

**_KABOOM!_**

The Bugrom were taken by surprise as a section of their outer defense walls was blown apart by a combination of fire and wind. When the dust cleared, two Priestesses of Mount Muldoon stood at the opening they had just made. 

"You don't have to do this, Afra." 

The Wind Priestess shrugged as she replied, "We've fought together this long. We might as well go the distance. And besides, I still have to thank Trunks for saving my life with those beans of his." 

The Fire Priestess didn't like the way that sounded. "Hey! Trunks is mine!" 

"We'll see." Afra said with a smirk as she gestured toward the attacking Bugrom forces. 

---------- 

As the two were keeping the majority of the Bugrom forces busy, Miz, Fujisawa, Ura and Trunks were traveling in a large bubble of air deep below the surface. 

"By my calculations, we should be directly below the fortress." The Water Priestess stated as she focused her powers to maintain the bubble. "All right. Here we go!" 

The three people and one cat appeared in a water geyser inside the center of the fortress. At that moment, Ura began sniffing about, then began running off down a corridor. 

"What is it Ura? Do you smell the Princess?" Trunks asked as he began going after her. 

"Hey yeah, I forgot. She used to be Fatora's pet." Fujisawa exclaimed as he and Miz followed them. 

"This way! This way!" Ura said as she began leading them toward her former mistress. 

Just as they turned a corner, a huge Bugrom suddenly leapt out from the shadows. 

**_WHOMP!_**

One casual swat from Trunks sent the insect flying. However, more Bugrom began appearing from all directions. And in such limited spaces, Trunks couldn't cut loose with any energy blasts without hurting Miz or his sensei. 

"Trunks! You go on ahead!" Fujisawa shouted as he began manhandling another of the giant insects. 

"But..." 

"Don't worry about us! Go save Fatora!" Miz added as she stood by her fiancé. 

Trunks took a deep breath and nodded as he continued to follow Ura down a passageway, knocking down his attackers like bowling pins. 

Back at the other corridor, Miz and Masamichi shared a quiet moment as they looked into each other's eyes. 

"You want to kiss me?" Miz said with hope. 

"No." Fujisawa replied. 

"Hmpf!" Miz became irritated. 

"Sorry, but I'm a little too busy to think of romance right now!" Trunks' sensei said as he crushed another Bugrom's skull. 

---------- 

A few minutes later, Trunks and Ura came to a large, dark chamber that had a cage situated in the middle. Both he and the cat stopped when they came to the enclosure. The son of Vegita then peered into the cage and saw a female version of... himself. 

Fatora was still unconscious and was laying off to one side. However, there was enough light for Trunks to compare her features to his own. Her face was somewhat softer and her hair was brown and longer, but he could still see himself in her. 

"Whoa. She really does look like me." Trunks let off a low whistle. He then shook his head to clear it, and prepared to smash open the cage. It was then that he heard a noise and whirled about. That was when he saw her standing at the doorway. 

"Ifurita..." 

"How foolish of you to come." The Demon-God said as she leveled her staff at him. 

Ura instantly leapt up and wrapped herself around her master's chest, though he was already wearing armor. 

Trunks however, wasn't going to back down. Not then, not now... not ever. However, there was still a small part of him that told him that Ifurita could be changed. He just had to give one final try. 

"Ifurita... we don't have to do this!" 

"I must..." Ifurita replied in a shaky voice as she took aim. 

"Please... don't do it! I... I don't want to have to destroy you." At that point, Trunks began to power up while taking a stance. 

At that moment, they both heard Jinnai's maniacal laugh as he appeared from behind a pedestal. 

"Jinnai." Trunks said with venom. 

Nanami's brother smirked at his rival and nodded. "I just knew that a hero-type like you would come." 

"And you've been waiting for me this whole time, eh?" Trunks replied with a growl. He had been so preoccupied with saving Fatora and confronting Ifurita, he hadn't sensed Jinnai hiding nearby. 

"Yes." Jinnai said with a smug grin. "I have been waiting for you. A very LONG time. I have been waiting for this moment, just so you could witness my moment of ultimate triumph!" 

"How exciting." Trunks said with sarcasm. 

"You were a worthy opponent, Trunks. I'll never forget this moment." It was then that the egomaniac took on a sentimental expression, then changed back to his usual self as he pointed to him. "BLOW HIM AWAY IFURITA!" 

"Don't do it!" Trunks countered firmly. 

There was a long pause as the Demon-God stood like a statue. 

Jinnai then looked at his weapon with surprise. "Hah? Well, what are waiting for?! Didn't you hear me? I SAID KILL HIM!" 

"You don't have to listen to a raving lunatic, Ifurita!" Trunks called out. 

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A LUNATIC?!" Jinnai then calmed down and ordered his servant. "Please hurry up and finish him, Ifurita!" 

The Demon-God's hands trembled as power began to build at the point of her weapon. 

"I... must... obey...the master... of the staff." 

Trunks gritted his teeth. There was no turning back now. 

"Ura! Get off me now!" 

The cat shook her head, even though she knew that she wouldn't be able to withstand the blast. "NO! Protect Trunks!" 

"I'm so sorry Ura, but YOU HAVE TO GET OFF!" Trunks then powered up to Super-Saiyan status. The sudden outburst of energy was too much for the living armor and Ura was forced to release her hold on him. In that instant, Ifurita fired. At the same time, he fired off a counterblast. 

The two attacks met head-on, causing the entire chamber to be bathed in light. 

---------- 

**_KABOOM!_**

Both Afra and Shayla had just finished the last of the Bugrom sentries when they heard the explosion. They looked up as twin flares of golden light erupted out of the Bugrom fortress like a pair of Patriot missiles. The two lights then began darting at each other and letting loose with energy bolts. 

Shayla and Afra stared up into the sky, trying to follow the two combatants, but they couldn't catch their movements. They were like two angry fireflies. 

"I can't keep up with them! How about you Shayla?" Afra asked. 

The red-haired priestess shook her head. She couldn't follow them either. Then she remembered the device that she had used on Earth and that she still had it. She took it out of the holster that she usually carried her Lamp of Fire in. Hooking it over her right ear and swinging the lens over her right eye. She then pressed the button to activate it. 

"What's is that Shayla?" 

"A thing that Trunks' mother called a Scouter. Trunks and Ifurita are moving too fast for normal eyes. Bulma showed me how to use this. This device will help me follow their movements." Shayla gasped as she read the energy measurements on the readout. Nanami had taught her how to read Earth numbers during her stay on her world. "Whoa! Those two are really going at it! Just look at those power readings! Trunks is as strong as Ifurita now! No! Wait!" 

"What? What is it?" Afra asked eagerly. 

"He's... stronger... than Ifurita." 

---------- 

Ifurita was finding out that this was not the same Super-Saiyan that she had trounced twice before. Trunks was faster, far faster than she had remembered, and a LOT stronger. 

She launched several Destructo Discs at her opponent, but the young half-breed dodged each one with such speed that he left after-images of himself. She then tried a Kamehameha, but Trunks deflected it as if he was swatting a fly. Then the son of Vegita charged in and began throwing punches and kicks. 

The Demon-God found herself hard-pressed to block or evade the blows as they came in hard and fast. Every hit she defended against impacted with increasing force. She couldn't understand it. Trunks had never been this formidable. How could he have such power in so little time? 

However, she was the Demon-God and could adapt to any opponent. If Trunks had more power now, then she would simply up her level as well. She began glowing with even more energy, forcing back the young Super-Saiyan with her staff, connecting several times. 

Trunks gritted his teeth as he took the hits and returned them with interest. Since he was wearing gloves, his hands never made contact with Ifurita and his special power did not interface with her mind. Trunks knew that would have been a distraction to him. As of now, Ifurita was the enemy and must be destroyed, no matter what kind of feelings he had for her. 

As a few more strikes of her staff hit home, Trunks then pulled out his sword and countered the next swing that was coming toward his head. He started thrusting and slicing with his new blade, nicking Ifurita several times in the arms, legs and waist. The two exchanged several hundred strokes in the blink of an eye, but neither one backed down. 

Ifurita found herself being slowly overpowered as Trunks continued to increase his energy output with every passing second. Though she could duplicate the powers and abilities of her adversary, even she had her limits. Powering up to the level of Super-Saiyan required tremendous amounts of energy, and Trunks was steadily exceeding that level. She was reaching the breaking point, in which her opponent's power would be beyond her capacity to duplicate. 

Trunks kept all emotions out of his mind as he continued to press the attack. He forced himself to ignore the pain he was causing to her as his sword continued to cut into her. He could feel her energy level dropping with every blow. Though she was still strong enough to level a continent, Trunks was wearing her down, slowly but surely. 

The son of Vegita hated this. He had thought he was ready for this battle when he emerged from the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. He had no doubts at that time. However, as he was forcing her back, he felt a part of himself being beaten down with her. He had merged with her mind, seen the very depths of her being. He knew her, felt her very being when he came into contact her. And now, he had to destroy her. 

The two broke apart and hovered several hundred feet in the air. At that point, Trunks was breathing hard from the intensity of their fight, but he knew that he had the upper hand. But Ifurita would not give up. She was still obeying the master of the staff. It looked like that Trunks would have to up the ante. His aura began flaring like a sunburst as he began taking his abilities to the next level. 

---------- 

"Holy shit!" Shayla gasped as she watched the power readings on her Scouter rise. It had been a good thing that both combatants were in the air, otherwise the entire landscape would have been reduced to a wasteland. Even so, the energy that was being emitted was causing everything to tremble and shake. Tiny rocks started floating up into the air as the ground cracked and vibrated. 

"What's going on now?" Afra demanded. 

"It's Trunks! His power level's skyrocketing! He and Ifurita were both at 10 billion, but hers is dropping and Trunks is now..." Shayla shook her head as she read the readings. "Eleven billion... twelve billion... fifteen billion... seventeen billion five hundred million... twenty billion..." 

**_FZZZZZT! BANG!_**

"AAAAAHHHH!" 

Even though Bulma had improved on Vegita's old Scouters, so that they could measure higher power levels, the energy that Trunks was projecting STILL overloaded it. 

"Ow! Damn!" Shayla winced as she removed the smoking piece of equipment and tossed it away. 

"What happened?" 

"Trunk's power level is too high for the Scouter to read! I'd say that... he's now even more powerful than a Demon-God!" 

---------- 

Ifurita didn't even see him coming as he suddenly blurred from view and reappeared behind her. 

**_WHAM!_**

A kick to her back sent her flying forward. 

**_WHABOOM!_**

Trunks suddenly appeared in her path and sent a another kick to her midsection, knocking her back. 

The Demon God turned to try and brace herself for when Trunks would appear again, but it was not fast enough. In a heartbeat, the Super-Saiyan appeared above her and slammed a fist into her face! 

That really made Trunks uncomfortable as he continued to press the attack. More and more of his blows were landing. Ifurita couldn't hold out much longer. Her power levels were fading fast. Even the original Golden Champion had never given her such a beating. Dozens of punches became hundreds, then thousands as Trunks steadily beat her down. 

The Demon-God broke away and launched a huge barrage of blasts, including Destructo Discs, Beam Cannons, and of course, the Kamehameha. An enormous cloud of destruction was formed where Trunks was, but she continued to fire into it for a full minute without stopping. Finally, she felt her strength waning and had to stop. She lowered her staff and slumped down a bit as she ceased firing. The cloud that had formed from the barrage started to blow away. Nothing could have survived such withering fire... 

However, her eyes widened as she saw a glowing figure hovering at the center of the cloud. Trunks merely gazed at her with a bit of sadness in his eyes. He slowly shook his head as he floated forward and said, "So that it, huh? I'm sorry that it has to come to this, but I guess I have no choice. Goodbye Ifurita..." 

Trunks then flashed forward and slammed an elbow into the Demon-God's midsection. Ifurita's energy stores were depleted and now she was at his mercy. She made a half-hearted attempt to fight back, but it wasn't enough. Trunks delivered a crushing, double-fisted blow to her back, sending her plummeting down toward the ground. 

"KAME... HAME... HA!" 

The son of Vegita then sent a gigantic blast of ki down after his falling opponent. The energy slammed into her back and drove her down toward the Bugrom stronghold like a flaming meteor. Coincidentally, she was heading down to where Jinnai and Fatora were. 

---------- 

Jinnai yelped as something impacted against the roof of his fortress, causing the entire structure to shudder. He then heard several explosions as whatever it was slammed through eight levels before coming to a stop at the ground floor where he and the princess was. The would-be ruler of El Hazard took cover as the object crashed into the floor and caused a deep crater. The energy that had propelled it exploded all about the chamber, blasting huge holes in the walls and threatening to collapse the room. Huge chunks of rock and debris was thrown about as Nanami's brother ducked for cover. Fatora's prison was study enough to shield her as the entire fortress shuddered from the crash. Then, the tremors began to die down as the citadel settled back down on its foundations. 

At that moment, a streak of golden light came down from above and landed at the center of the massive depression in the floor. As the dust cleared, Katsuhiko looked out from where he had taken cover and gasped. There was Trunks... about to deliver the final blow to Ifurita. 

The Demon-God was on her hands and knees, struggling to get up after landing, but as she looked up, she saw that the end was near. Trunks was standing before her, looking down at her with one hand aimed at her forehead with palm open wide. At point-blank range, with her power at its lowest level, she would not be able to withstand the next strike. Her opponent had won. She was beaten. 

Ifurita nodded and accepted... no, welcomed the end to her long and terrible existence. She could only say one thing. "Do it." 

Trunks paused for a long, long time. This was his chance. This was what he had been training so long and hard for. One blast would send Ifurita to oblivion. Then... 

His hand began to tremble as he tried to summon up his power to destroy her. However, that small nagging doubt that he had resurfaced. The memories that he had shared with her came back to him. Then one image in particular came into his mind. The first time he had met her... in Shinanome High School. The picture of her so battered and weak made him uneasy. Did he do that to her? Then how did she end up here in El Hazard afterwards and didn't remember him? It was all so confusing. And then there were those feelings he had for her. They were preventing him from firing and finishing her off. There were so many unanswered questions and he knew deep down, that Ifurita held the key to it all. 

With one deliberate motion, he removed one of his gloves and placed his unclad hand onto Ifurita's forehead. 

The power that he had gained when he came to El Hazard activated itself as their two minds became one. 

---------- 

Deep within the Demon-God's very being... 

_What are you doing? Are you looking for my soul?_

Trunks' mind heard Ifurita's voice as he traveled through the depths of her psyche... searching... probing. 

_Your search is in vain. A soul does not exist for me..._

_Yes it does!_ Trunks answered with his own mind. _Even for you. There's got to be a control circuit somewhere in here that forces you to obey the master of the staff. If I can just get to it..._

_No. It is impossible._ Ifurita interrupted. _I have been alone all this time... and I shall continue to do so. You should have destroyed me, for I will be commanded to kill you by the master of the staff._

_You've never known hope... have you?_

Trunk's dream-self continued to drift in Ifurita's mind for what seemed to be an eternity. Then after an undetermined period of time, he found himself in front of an image of what looked like the Master Key Staff. 

_Is that it? IS that what's been trapping your soul?_

Trunks listened for Ifurita's voice but heard nothing. Going with his gut instinct, his dream-self began powering up and then with one single blast, vaporized the control circuit. 

---------- 

Ifurita found herself on her feet and facing Trunks as he smiled at her while holding her shoulders. She had no recollection of ever standing up. Her Key Staff was lying on the ground beside her. However, she could only gaze at the Saiyan, who was now in his normal state. 

"The control circuit has been destroyed, Ifurita. You'll never have to listen to anyone giving you a command again." 

The Demon-God gasped as she held her hands to her chest. 

"You're free, Ifurita!" Trunks said happily as he let go of her shoulders and put the glove back on. 

Ifurita let off a contented sigh as she felt her very being revel in its new-found freedom. It was if the chains to her heart had been unlocked. 

"It's... true... I am free at last!" 

This did set well with a certain egomaniac as he ran toward her. "What the..?! NO! She's mine, I tell you!" 

**_WHAM!_**

Jinnai was sent flying back from Ifurita's casual slap. Even though her power was now at a low ebb, she still sent him flying back more than a dozen feet. 

At that moment, Fujisawa and Miz came running up to them from a side passageway. 

"Trunks!" 

Both Saiyan and Demon-God turned to the newcomers and smiled. 

"You're... Fujisawa-sensei, aren't you?" Ifurita asked. 

The history teacher stared in surprise at their former enemy. "Err... that's right. How... did you know that?" 

She smiled as she replied. "I saw you in some of Trunks' memories." 

Behind them, Jinnai groaned as he was helped up by a couple of the Bugrom. His nose dripped some blood as he said, "Damn you! You betrayed me, you miserable wind-up witch! SOLDIERS! ATTACK! KILL THEM ALL!!" 

Hordes of Bugrom appeared from every adjoining passageway and began converging on the group. 

Ifurita picked up her staff and prepared to retaliate, but slumped down weakly. Her power was too low. 

However, Trunks still had a LOT of energy to spare as his aura powered up. 

---------- 

**_KABOOM!_**

Shayla-Shayla and Afra Mann turned in the direction of the explosion and saw a huge spout of water explode from the front of the fortress. In that spout they saw four figures within it. Miz, Mr. Fujisawa were in front and Princess Fatora was being carried by a certain half-Saiyan. 

"Trunks!" Both the Priestesses of the Wind and Fire said at the same time. They both began running toward him as he landed on the ground. Another explosion was heard and everyone looked back to see... Ifurita fighting the Bugrom? 

"What is she doing?!" Shayla asked in complete bafflement. 

Trunks handed Fatora's unconscious body to his sensei and flew back to help their new ally. Ifurita was too weak after her battle with him, but she was still determined to help. 

A few blasts took out several dozen of the giant insects as Trunks landed beside her and lent her his arm for support. In a few minutes, the entire rescue party was off in their cruiser, heading back with the Princess Fatora. Mission accomplished. 

---------- 

As they sped out toward Florastika, the son of Vegita lay Ifurita down and asked Shayla and Afra to look after her. 

"Where are you going, Trunks?" The red-haired priestess asked. 

"Oh, I'm going to take of some business." He replied as he took off and flew back in the direction of the burning fortress. He soon hovered several hundred feet above the fortress and began focusing his powers. 

At that moment, he decided to use a different move than the Kamehameha Wave. He took a new position with one leg bent and pulling his cupped hands back and up above his head. His aura took on a light violet color as he prepared to unleash his technique. 

---------- 

"What's he going to do?" Afra asked. 

Shayla smiled and nodded. "I think he's about to cost the Bugrom... one fortress." 

---------- 

"GANNET GUN... FIRE!" 

A tremendous power blast was let loose at the fortress as Trunks used his father's technique. When the beam hit, the entire structure was obliterated, along with the unfortunate Bugrom forces that were still inside. The surrounding areas trembled and cracked as they were subjected to the aftershocks of the blast. In front, the statue of Jinnai crumbled apart, along with the stronghold as the young Saiyan flew off to join his friends. 

---------- 

Jinnai sighed as he stood on a nearby ridge. "And it was such a GOOD likeness too!" He then growled with steam coming out of his head. "GRRRR! I'LL HAVE THEIR HEADS FOR THIS! INFORM THE TROOPS THAT WE WILL BE LAUNCHING AN ALL-OUT ATTACK ON ROSHTARIA!" 

---------- 

Back at the palace, as night was starting to give way to day... 

In the Royal Chambers, Princess Rune could barely keep in her tears as she saw her sibling standing before her. 

"Oh... Fatora! You're home!" 

"Hi sis." Fatora replied as she and Rune embraced each other. 

Off to one side, Allielle giggled as she said, "Ooh, I'm SO glad that Fatora has returned! I haven't been able to think of anyone else!" 

Beside her, Shayla-Shayla became uneasy after being with Allielle and choked a bit. 

When the two princesses broke their embrace, Rune took on a more serious tone. "Fatora, I know that you've been through a horrible ordeal and need some time to rest, but I must ask you to help me activate the Eye of God." 

Fatora smirked as she chuckled evilly. "Heh, you don't have to worry about me, big sister. When I think about what those bastards did to me, I'll do anything to pay them back!" She then took on a maniacal look. "THEY'RE GOING TO WISH THEY NEVER HEARD OF PRINCESS FATORA! AH HA HA HA HA!" She then turned to Trunks, who was standing nearby. "And you there. Can I assume that you were the one who was playing my double?" 

The half-Saiyan nodded as he replied with some reluctance. "Yes." 

"Remarkable resemblance." Fatora said as she got a closer look at Trunks' features. "Of course, you have nowhere near my beauty!" She then gave him a nonchalant toss of her head. "As a commoner, you obviously enjoyed impersonating me, a princess of Roshtaria! I hope you have new respect for my rank." 

_Not really._ Trunks thought to himself. He was only just meeting her, and already he didn't like her personality. She was spoiled, arrogant and rude. At least his father had SOME sense of dignity and respect toward others. 

At that moment, Fatora spotted Ura hiding behind Trunks' legs. 

"URA! What are doing? Don't you recognize your master? Come here!" 

The living armor nervously padded toward her, but then flinched as the princess grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and hauled her up to glare at the cat. 

"You're a useless animal! If you had done your duty and protected me, then I would have never have gone through that horrible ordeal!" 

Ura could only look to Trunks helplessly. "T-Trunks." 

Seeing his friend in trouble, the young Saiyan tried to protest in her behalf. "Hey, don't be so hard on her. She did the best she could and..." 

"Stay out of this! This is none of your business!" Fatora snapped as she turned her attention back to the cat. "You failed in your duty and now you must be punished!" 

Ura then decided where her loyalties lay and began writhing and reaching for Trunks. "Trunks! Trunks! Trunks!" 

Fatora gave the cat a final look of disgust and then tossed her to the ground at Trunks' feet. "Fine then! GET LOST! Don't ever cross my path again! Maybe he'll take pity on you and keep you!" 

Trunks gently picked up Ura in his arms while glaring at the spoiled brat he had helped rescue. "I'll be glad to keep her. In any case, who'd want to be around someone as spoiled and ungrateful as you, anyway?" 

The young Saiyan's insolence got Fatora's temper rising. "What did you call me? Do you realize who you are speaking to? I am a member of the Royal House of Roshtaria and you will address me in the proper manner!" 

Trunks snorted as he replied. "Hmph! You are nothing but a ROYAL PAIN in the butt, and I'm starting to regret saving you." 

"How dare you?! I'll have your head for this, you peasant! I am a Princess of Roshtaria!" 

"Not my Princess." Trunks said with an uncaring shrug. "I'm not from El Hazard, so I owe you no allegiance. And as for calling me a peasant, I'll have you know that I am also of royal birth." He tapped the crest that was engraved on his Saiyan armor. "My father is the Prince of all Saiyans, so that makes me a prince as well. And you're forgetting one important detail." He then triggered his transformation and became a Super-Saiyan. This made Fatora back off a bit as he addressed her in a stern voice. "I defeated Ifurita, which makes ME the most powerful fighter in El Hazard. You DON'T want me as an enemy." 

At that moment, he turned his head toward an end table that was beside Fatora and glared at it. The furniture piece suddenly exploded into pieces, causing everyone to gasp. This effectively made Fatora pause as Trunks addressed her sister Rune Venus. 

"Princess Rune, you don't have to use the Eye of God against the Bugrom. Without Ifurita, they're nothing more than a bunch of bugs. I could easily destroy them all." 

Princess shook her head and said, "We thank you for your offer, Golden Champion, but as you said, you are not from El Hazard, and therefore this is not your concern. We are grateful for your saving my sister and all that you have done for us, but we shall deal with the Bugrom ourselves." 

Fatora then regained her courage as she sided with her sister, "Yeah, we don't need you!" 

Trunks ignored Fatora and said to Rune, "All right, Princess Rune. I kept my promise to save your sister. I'll leave the Bugrom to you." 

Without another word, he walked out of the chambers with Ura in his arms. 

Fatora then called at him with some parting taunts. "Yeah! Get lost! Go back to where you came from! We can handle the Bugrom. We've got the Eye of God! When you see it in action, then you'll be sorry you ever insulted the Royal House of Roshtaria!" 

On the side, Allielle clapped her hands and said, "Ooh, Princess Fatora, I'm so glad that you haven't changed." 

Fatora turned to her lover and said, "Ah, Allielle. Sweet sentiment, but you didn't cheat on me, did you?" 

"How can I?" The young girl rushed over and cuddled up to Fatora while tracing a finger on her side. "You know that you're the only object for my affection." 

"What about the redhead?" 

Shayle then began frantically shaking her head. 

---------- 

In another bedchamber, Trunks was back to normal and was kneeling at the side of the bed where Ifurita was resting. Beside him was Ura. 

"I'm... sorry that I wasn't more help to you." The Demon-God said. "My power must have weakened during my long slumber and our battle..." 

"Hey, it's okay. I'm just sorry that I had to beat you so hard. The important thing is that you're free." 

"I am free." Ifurita couldn't get over that fact. 

"You'll be up and about in no time. Maybe what you need is a windup?" Trunks grasped the Power Key Staff that was leaning against the bed. 

The Demon-God laughed lightly. "No thanks." 

---------- 

A little while later, both Princesses were standing atop the Stairway to the Sky as the communications antennae extended themselves to transmit to the Eye of God. Below them, Trunks and the others watched from ground. One of their party was not happy. 

"Oh no! I'm out of cigarettes! I've got to have my nicotine fix! If I can't smoke, I don't know what I'll do!" Mr. Fujisawa looked about and saw a plant that had leaves that resembled those of a tobacco plant's. He plucked a leaf, rolled it up into a tube and put one end into his mouth. He took out his lighter and lit the other end. He took one puff and... 

"WAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUGGGGGHHHHH!" 

Trunk's sensei turned purple and began spouting flame before keeling over. That plant was definitely not a tobacco plant. 

Both trunks and Nanami had sweat drops as they gazed at their teacher. At that moment, Afra came flying down and landed beside them. 

"I've got bad news! Bugrom Forces are heading right for us!" 

---------- 

"Faster! Faster! We can't let them launch the Eye of God!" Jinnai said as he rode one of the huge transports toward the Stairway to the Sky. However, when he was less than a mile away, his forces suddenly stopped as their path was blocked by the Three Priestesses of Mount Muldoon. 

"Hold it, right there!" Shayla said as she stood in front of Afra and Miz. "You're NOT going to get past us, so what's you're hurry?" 

Jinnai however was not afraid, even though he no longer had Ifurita. "So it's those harpies again. Good! This gives me the chance to test out my new training tactics. Groucho!" 

The purple-colored bug nodded as it blew a whistle, signaling its brethren to form lines. 

---------- 

Up above, the two Princesses of Roshtaria joined hands and began focusing their power toward the Eye of God, giving it commands and preparing it to fire. 

---------- 

"What the heck are they doing?" Shayla asked as the Bugrom linked arms and legs together. Then one line got onto the shoulders of another, then a third line mounted the second, followed by a forth. Then they opened up the carapaces on their backs and began emitting some kind of substance that enveloped their bodies, merging every Bugrom into one massive form.

"How are we going to fight against that?!" Miz eeped. 

On the Bugrom Transport, Jinnai laughed. "HA HA HA HA HA HA! Take a good look at our new strategic offense! Devised by me of course!" He then commanded the giant Bugrom. "Kill them! Crush them all!" 

The behemoth began swinging its appendages, which were shaped like war clubs. The Three Priestess had to run for cover to avoid being hit by those weapons or crushed by its gigantic feet. Shayla fired a searing blast of flam at it, but the enormous insect deflected the shot with one of its arms. At that moment, Trunks, Nanami and Mr. Fujisawa came onto the scene. 

"WHAT IS THAT?!" Nanami gasped. 

"It's going to be toast in a few seconds!" Trunks said as he began powering up his aura. 

However, just as he was about to cut loose, the giant Bugrom lurched forward and stomped down with one foot. Everyone managed to get out of the way... save for one. Mr. Fujisawa was an instant too slow and was crushed beneath the heel of the monster. 

Miz let off a scream as she had witnessed her beloved disappear underneath that massive foot. Everyone else stood in shock. 

"Sensei!" 

"Mr. Fujisawa!" 

Trunks felt his anger rising after seeing his favorite teacher killed by that sadistic Jinnai's pet. Just as he was about to go Super-Saiyan and shove that monster down Jinnai's throat, he heard a grunting noise coming from beneath the Bugrom's foot. Then the foot began to rise as something started pushing it up. Everyone gasped as they saw Mr. Fujisawa glowing with a faint red light as he lifted the heel up. Then, with one final grunt, he threw the Bugrom off balance as he knocked the foot to one side. The Bugrom went crashing onto its belly. 

"Mr. Fujisawa!" Miz cried out as she saw that he was unharmed. 

The usually drunk history teacher looked down at himself and said in amazement, "Wow! I'm stronger than I've ever been! I can feel the power coursing through me whole body!" 

Nanami then gave her theory. "Maybe... when you ran out of cigarettes... you got stronger like you did when you stopped drinking." 

At that moment, the giant insect began getting to its feet. However, as soon as he saw that, Masamichi went into action and began running toward it. He then leapt at its chest as it stood up and with absolutely no grace whatsoever, extended his right foot forward. 

"HYPER-FUJISAWA KICK!" 

**_CRASH!_**

Trunks could only gape as his sensei went clear through the Bugrom's chest and out its back. 

_Well... not exactly what I'd do... but it worked!_

"YES!" Fujisawa exclaimed as he landed on the other side. The gargantuan monster fell flat on its face again and was then grabbed by the toe by the ultra-powered Masamichi. Like an Olympic athlete competing in the Hammer Ball event, he started swinging the Bugrom above his head, building up speed and momentum. 

"Shouldn't... we help him?" Shayla asked as she came to Trunks' side. 

"Why? He's doing great on his own!" Trunks replied. 

A moment later, Fujisawa let go of the Bugrom. The monster went flying up into the stratosphere and became a distant dot in the sky. 

"MY GOD!" Miz exclaimed as she got a starry, lovesick look in her eyes. "WHAT A MAN!" 

Jinnai was in a state of shock. Now if he had seen Trunks accomplish that feat, he wouldn't have been so surprised, but to witness the usually drunk Fujisawa do it was something else. "H-H-H-How could he?!" He turned to his entourage. "ONE LOUSY GUY BEAT US! DON'T YOU HAVE ANY SELF-RESPECT?!" 

---------- 

At that moment, on the Stairway to the Sky, Princess Rune and Princess Fatora aimed the Eye of God at the areas where the rest of the Bugrom forces were gathered... and fired. 

The center of the Eye swiveled and let loose with a huge globe of black energy, which shot across the skies. The globe then split into five smaller globes; each of which went off in different directions. When they came to their designated coordinates, they hovered above the insects and began expanding into voids of nothingness. Like miniature black holes, they started sucking up the Bugrom into another dimension. A dimension of utter oblivion from which they would never return. Huge transports and even the giant Bugrom was sucked into the voids like dust mites into a vacuum cleaner. One void formed over the Bugrom Palace across the Holy River. Queen Diva's home was torn apart and drawn into it. 

The entire process of cleansing El Hazard of the Bugrom took only a matter of minutes, and when it was all over, the giant insect race was no longer a threat. 

---------- 

"We did it, Rune!" Fatora said with a bit of a smug smile. "Like I said before, we didn't need that insolent Trunks! We got rid of the Bugrom ourselves and..." 

"Wait! Something's wrong!" Rune interrupted as she noticed that the Eye of God was still active, shooting out more globes of energy and forming numerous voids all over Roshtaria. "The Eye of God isn't stopping!" 

"What?!" Fatora looked up and saw that the weapon was indeed still working. "IT HAS TO STOP!" 

At that moment, several figures came up through the elevator platform and ran toward them. Two other figures flew down from above. Afra Mann and Trunks had taken the direct route and flew up to the top. 

"What's going on? Why hasn't the Eye of God stopped?" Afra asked. 

"We can't stop it!" Rune replied. "It's not responding to our commands!" 

It was then that they all heard a familiar voice as he laughed at their misfortune. 

"HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! Of course you can't stop the Eye of God! NO ONE CAN!" 

Everyone turned around and saw the ruler of the Phantom Tribe standing on a nearby platform. 

"Gallus!" Rune hissed at her former fiancé. "You're behind this?!" 

Gallus smiled maliciously as he answered. "Yes! I had a special device placed within the Eye of God, which would activate the moment the weapon was put to use! Now it won't stop until all of El Hazard in a world of nothingness!" 

"WHY HAVE YOU DONE THIS HEINOUS THING?!" 

Gallus smirked at her. "Because I seek revenge. Revenge for my people in which the Royal Family had condemned and cast out during the Holy Wars. Soon, you too shall know what it is like to spend your entire existence in darkness! And I shall observe it all from the very weapon that you thought as your salvation! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!" 

Before anyone could act, Gallus disappeared from view. 

"Damn it all!" Shayla shouted. "That bastard planned it all from the start!" 

Rune could only shake her head sadly as she looked at Trunks. If only she had accepted his offer in the first place, instead of insisting to use the Eye of God. Now it was too late. 

Fatora was bawling frantically as she held her head. "WAAAAAAHHHH! I'M TOO YOUNG AND BEAUTIFUL TO DIE. MY WHOLE LIFE IS AHEAD OF ME! TELL ME THAT THIS IS ALL A BAD DREAM! WAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" 

"I might be able to stop it." 

Fatora stopped in her blubbering as she heard this. Everyone else turned to Trunks. 

The half-Saiyan nodded as he continued. "The Eye of God is a piece of Ancient Technology, right? If that's the case, then I could use my power to synchronize with it and shut it down." 

"Even if you were to gain control of the Ee of God, Gallus and his minions will be waiting for you." Afra interjected. "It is impossible to see through their illusions." 

Trunks shrugged. "Like they could stop a Super-Saiyan." He then transformed to his ultra-powered self. "Besides, we do have ways of getting around their tricks." 

At that moment, someone else came up the elevator. "HEY! WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA OF LEAVING ME BEHIND! I'M REALLY PISSED AT YOU GUYS!" 

The group turned to the sister of Katsuhiko Jinnai and gave her a knowing look. 

--------- 

Trunks flew up toward the Eye of God with Nanami in his arms. Ura was wrapped around her for protection. Behind him was Afra with Shayla clinging to her waist. Both Priestesses were wearing the enhanced Scouters that Trunks had brought along with him when he came back to El Hazard. The devices were set to pick up the energy signatures of the Phantom Tribe and could also pick up heat signals from living people. As they neared the most powerful weapon of El Hazard, they noticed something strange. The huge globe was moving toward the capital city of Florastika and gaining altitude. 

"Trunks! It's moving!" Nanami cried out. 

The son of Vegita nodded. "Looks like Gallus still has some control over the Eye and wants to get a bird's eye view of Roshtaria's destruction." He then increased his speed and soon landed on the surface of the weapon. As he was setting Nanami down, the two Priestess came down to a landing behind them. They both switched on their Scouters and began scanning about. Seeing no hidden enemies at the moment, they all began running across the surface. The Wind Priestess then pointed to a nearby structure that looked like a giant vent. 

"There! That's the main power outlet that allows the Princesses to communicate with the Eye of God. It leads straight into the heart of the weapon!" 

"All right, then that's where I have to go. Stand back and..." Trunks suddenly stiffened as he felt the presences of some certain people. At the same time, the Scouters began beeping their warning signals. Just as Trunks drew his sword, Nanami shouted out and pointed toward a large control antennae. 

Gallus and several dozen of his followers appeared from out of nowhere. They were all armed with swords, spears and such. The leader stepped forward and grinned at the Super-Saiyan. 

"Well, if it isn't the other-worlders who are supposed to have great powers!" Gallus sneered. "Well if you think I'm going to let you ruin my plans when I'm so close to victory, then you are mistaken! You shall not stop the Eye of God!" 

"Well see about that!" Trunks said as he took to the air. 

At that moment, the entire Phantom Tribe attack force vanished in a haze of white mist as they used their illusionary powers to hide from sight. 

However, they were not invisible to Nanami or the Scouters. 

"Look out behind you Shayla-Shayla!" 

The Fire Priestess swerved to the right to avoid being gutted by a spear, then unleashed a scorching blast at her unseen attacker. The Phantom man screamed in agony as he was incinerated. The redhead then pivoted on one foot and nodded as her Scouter beeped and indicated three more body heat signatures and energy readings. Another fiery blast sent a trio of Gallus' followers into oblivion. She continued frying more and more of them as they were revealed by the Scouter. 

Afra was using high-pressure air blasts like battering rams to dispatch her attackers. She marveled at the device over her right eye, which showed where each of her unseen opponents were. More and more of the Phantom Tribe fell under the onslaught. 

High above, Trunks was using his own senses to detect his foes, using ki blasts to destroy them. However, he still searched for the one who was the cause of this. He wanted to stop Gallus once and for all. 

He then heard a scream and recognized it was Nanami's. He looked down and gasped as she saw that Gallus' boy servant Nahato had sneaked up behind her and now had a knife pressed up against her throat. She had been so busy covering Shayla and Afra's backs, she had neglected to watch her own. 

Gallus laughed as he reappeared and addressed to Afra, Shayla and Trunks. "Surrender now, or the girl dies! You are too late! The Eye of God has now passed the point of no return! It can not be stopped and..." 

"AAAAAAAHHH!" 

Nahato screamed as some sharp teeth sunk into the hand that was holding the knife. He had not noticed that Nanami had Ura wrapped around her and the cat was now biting down into his flesh. His hand opened by reflex, dropping the blade. 

Nanami took this opportunity to slam an elbow into Nahato's side and then tossed him over her shoulder. The boy went sprawling as she stood up and glared. She couldn't believe that she had thought he was cute. 

"Serves you right, you little brat!" 

"DIE, YOU ALIEN BITCH!" 

Nanami screamed for the second time as she turned and saw Gallus charging at her with a sword. She tried to run backward, but to her horror, found out that she was near the sloping side of the Eye's surface. She stumbled and went tumbling down. However, Ura reached out with her paws, extended her claws and dug into the metal, stopping herself and Nanami from falling over. But with her front legs clinging to the surface of the Eye of God and her hind legs and body wrapped around Nanami, Ura couldn't do anything else as Gallus leapt at them with his dagger aimed at the girl's face. 

Just as Trunks was about to dive down to save her, a bolt of energy shot forward and burned a hole in Gallus' chest. The ruler of the Phantom Tribe screamed in agony as he staggered back for a moment, but then lurched forward, determined to kill Nanami before he died. At that moment, the Super-Saiyan got between him and his victim, delivered a sweep kick to knock him off his feet, then with another kick, sent him flying up. 

Gallas attained several dozen yards straight up, but just as he reached the apex of his ascent and was about to fall back down, Trunks blurred into view above him with sword drawn. 

"IT'S ALL OVER, GALLUS!" 

With one quick slash, the blade passed clean through and for one split second, the despot saw Trunk's face seeming to split into two. 

As Future Trunks had done with Frieza, Present Day Trunks began giving a rapid series of slashes which reduced Gallus to pieces. Before the segments could fall, Trunks extended one hand and let loose with a burst of ki. Gallus, or what was left of him was blasted to the next dimension. 

"MY LORD!" Nahato screamed as he had witnessed his emperor cut apart and destroyed. He picked up his knife and then charged with utter bloodlust at Nanami, determined to finish what his master had started. 

"NANAMI!" Trunks shouted as he acted within a split second. 

Just as the Phantom Boy was about to deliver the death strike, something plowed into his chest and sent him hurtling towards a control antenna. He slammed into the metal and found himself pinned to the mechanism. He looked down and saw that Trunks' sword had run him through. The Saiyan had hurled his sword and Nahato was now impaled upon it, his life's blood trickling away. 

Trunks landed before him and gave the dying boy a saddened, yet determined look. "It's over." 

Nahato managed to sneer at the so-called Golden Champion as he gasped his last words. "No... my... Lord has... won. The Eye of God has gone past... the point... of no return. You may have destroyed... my people, but... we are the final... victors." 

At that point, Nahato slumped down and his body disintegrated into dust, which blew away with the breeze. The last of the Phantom Tribe was gone. As Trunks removed his weapon from where it was embedded, Nanami and the others came running toward him. 

"Trunks! You killed... I mean.. you.." Nanami began. 

The son of Vegita shook his head as he sheathed his blade. "Both Gallus and his servant would have killed you without a second thought. It was either them or you, Nanami." 

"He is right." Ifurita said as she came down from the skies. Everyone turned to look at her and realized that she must have been the one who had shot Gallus before Trunks had dispatched him. 

"Ifurita! What are you doing here? You should be resting!" Trunks asked, then shook his head. "Never mind that now!" He began running toward the access port which led to the center of the Eye of God. He stopped at the edge as the others caught up to him. 

Afra shook her head as she looked about and saw that more and more voids were forming. "I'm afraid it's too late now." 

"What do you mean? I can still shut it down!" 

The Wind Priestess shook her head again. "No. The Eye of God is now emitting dimensional energies exponentially. Even if you were able to deactivate it, you would become trapped in a vortex of reality and thrown across time and space. Who knows where you might end up!" 

"It's a chance I'll have to take!" He then addressed both Ifurita and Afra. "You two will have to fly Nanami and Shayla down and..." 

"No Trunks. It is I who must go." Ifurita said as she pressed her Key Staff into the Saiyan's hands. 

"WHAT?!" 

"Do you not remember? The school and how you came to El Hazard?" The Demon-God said. "I must have gained an ability that I do not yet possess from the Eye of God, which allowed me to send you and the others to this world. I must have been thrown through time and space, where I drifted for ten thousand years before landing on Earth. Therefore, it was I, not you who went into the Eye." 

"But I'm the only one who can synchronize with the Eye!" Trunks protested. 

"Do not worry. With my Key Staff, you will be able to maintain a direct link with me and instruct me on how to deactivate the Eye of God." 

"But you can't! You're still too weak from our battle and you were close to dying when we met! And without your staff, you won't be able to rewind and if your main spring runs down, you'll die!" 

Ifurita simply smiled as said, "But it has already been decided and I will risk my existence if it will keep you safe. Farewell... my dearest Trunks." 

"NO! WAIT!" 

However, Ifurita already dove down and let loose with a brief, but bright flare of light. 

"SOLAR FLARE!" 

This caught Trunks off guard as he tried to stop her. In that instant, a force-field was erected and prevented him from going any further as the Eye of God went into its final stages. 

Seeing that it was dangerous to remain, Trunks swept up Nanami as Shayla was carried by Afra. As they descended toward the ground, Trunks maintained his mental link with Ifurita through her staff. 

---------- 

_Thank you my dearest Trunks. Before I met you, I had no happy memories, nothing to live for._

_Then... let you give you... mine!_

As Ifurita descended toward the depths of the Eye of God, she began seeing images in her mind. She saw herself as a young girl as she watched eight-year-old Trunks battle Goten in the World Martial Arts Tournament, then later take the Disguise of Mighty Mask to compete in the adult division. She then saw him during the Majin Buu incident and grew up with him during his teen years. She became a student in Mr. Fuijsawa's class and met with all of his friends, Goku, Gohan, Videl, Krillin, Piccolo and so on. All that Trunks had experienced became hers. 

_Thank you, Trunks. Until we meet anew._

---------- 

On the ground, on the observation deck of the palace, Trunks and the others watched as the Eye of God shuddered and trembled. They waited for the moment of salvation or destruction as the energies within the weapon pulsated, threatening to explode. It was the longest minute anyone could remember. Then... it was over. The Eye of God grew silent as the clouds cleared. 

Trunks could only shake his head sadly and said, "She did it. She stopped it, but... she's gone. I don't feel her presence, even with the staff." 

As the crowds below began cheering that disaster had been averted, the young Super-Saiyan sighed as he turned away from the balcony. It was then that the cheers became screams of horror. Trunks turned back to the balcony and saw the crowds below pointing toward the Eye of God. He looked up and his blood turned cold as he saw that the massive weapon was falling... toward Florastika. 

"What's happening?" 

Princess Rune could only shake her head in disbelief. "It must have been Gallus! It appears that he not only sabotaged the control mechanisms of the Eye of God, but also the systems which kept it aloft. When the Eye deactivated, it also shut off the anti-gravity fields! Apparently, if Gallus couldn't destroy El Hazard, he'd settle for the destruction of our capital!" 

Shayla slammed a hand on the railing. "DAMN IT ALL! That bastard!" 

"So what are we going to do? No one can stop that thing!" Nanami gasped. 

Trunks laid the Key Staff off to one side and said quietly, "There's no choice now. I am going to have to... destroy it." 

"WHAT?!" Everyone gasped as Trunks took off and flew down to where the Eye Of God would impact with the capital city. He landed in the center square of the city and saw that most of the people had scattered for cover and left the area empty. He then looked up at the descending weapon and began powering up. He then decided on the technique that he would use, thinking that it was appropriate. 

_Father... for all that you tried to teach me about being a Saiyan... this one's for you._

Bending down on one knee, he started focusing his power and using another technique that he had figured out in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. His mother had told him about it, and it had taken him months to figure out how Goku had done it. With his increased Super-Saiyan powers, he was certain that it would be enough. 

"SUPER... KAIO-KEN!" 

His battle aura increased by a thousand-fold as a ball of violet energy formed in his hands. When he felt that the power could no longer be held in check, he let it fly. 

"GANNET GUN... FIRE!" 

The beam released by Trunks would have obliterated North America, but he had to make certain that the Eye of God was totally destroyed with no large fragments left over to endanger the inhabitants. The blast caused aftershocks to be sent across the capital city, shaking many of the buildings to their foundations. The attack struck the Eye of God dead center and was enveloped. The super-strong alloys melted like butter and the infrastructure began buckling under the stress. Finally, the Eye of God could no longer withstand the energies being forced on it and was closed... forever. 

The weapon was sent straight back up and exploded like a miniature super-nova, leaving nothing but ashes in its wake. Then the skies cleared and all became silent. Down below, Trunks fell flat on his face from his effort and reverted back to his normal self. 

_OW! I think I overdid it!_

---------- 

Sitting on a ledge that overlooked Florastika, Jinnai and the Bugrom he called Groucho were in a state of deep depression. It appeared that they were the only ones who had escaped the Eye of God's power when it obliterated the Bugrom Race. 

"Well, Groucho... I guess it's just you and me." 

The insect nodded and replied with a series of clicks. 

"Mr. Jinnai!" 

Both stood up and saw Queen Diva being carried by five other Bugrom on her dais. "It's Diva! And Harpo, Cheeko, Zeppo, Gummo and Alice! They're still alive!" 

The Bugrom Empress nodded as she explained. "We were getting extra supplies for the troops when it happened." 

Jinnai then took on a new face as he said, "Hah! Then that means it isn't over yet! Just you wait, Trunks! We'll rebuild a new empire and you will finally bend to my will! WAH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!" 

---------- 

A few days later... 

The city of Florastika was still in a state of jubilation after the utter defeat of the Bugrom and the salvation of their city. However, with the Eye of God destroyed, (the symbol of the unity between the kingdoms), the had to be something, or someone to keep the nations from conflict. 

In the Royal Chambers of Rune Venus... 

"I don't know WHY I have to do this!" Trunks complained as the handmaidens added the final touches to his new outfit. Ironically, they were the same girls who had made his Fatora disguise. 

"I don't know what you're complaining about, Trunks! I think it looks great!" Nanami said as she straightened out the navy blue cape that was attached to the shoulder epaulets, which had been added to the Saiyan armor he was wearing. The Royal Crest that his father had engraved in the breastplate was now accentuated with gold and crimson etching, thanks to the Roshtarian artisans. His boots had been given extra lines with overlapping cuffs on their tops, giving them a pirate-swashbuckling style. 

"Yes, you look very regal!" Afra added as she admired the new gauntlets he was wearing in lieu of his regular white gloves. "A TRUE image of the Golden Champion!" 

"I like this look a LOT better than your OTHER outfit." Shayla said with a smile. 

"Trunks look nice!" Ura said as she rubbed up against his leg. 

Trunks sighed. It had been bad enough that he had to pretend to be a princess to keep the nations of El Hazard together, but now he had to be someone else! He began having bad flashbacks of Gohan in his Great Saiyaman disguise. With the Eye of God destroyed, the neighboring kingdoms had to have some SYMBOL in order to keep them at ease and assure them that they were protected. And since Trunks was going to remain in El Hazard for at least a year, Princess Rune had thought that his presence could give the citizens hope and eventually become united through trust, rather than through some symbol. 

"Trunks! They're waiting for you!" Namami told him after getting the message from one of Rune's servants. 

The half-Saiyan sighed again and nodded as he went toward the balcony. Just as he was about to take off, Jinnai's sister called after him. 

"Trunks! They're expecting the GOLDEN Champion, remember?" 

The teen sighed once more before transforming to a Super-Saiyan, then took to the air for a tour about the city. Below him, the crowds cheered as they witnessed the return of the legendary savior of their world. As he flew about, making a few low passes, Trunks couldn't help but smile back at the cheers and smiles that were directed at him. He then made a beeline toward the observation deck of the palace where the leaders of the neighboring nations and Princess Rune were waiting. As he came down for a landing, his thoughts were a million miles away, or this case... ten thousand years away. 

_Ifurita, I hope that you will be safe and I promise you... I'll see you in a year._

---------- 

Speaking of whom, at Shinnanome High School, that fateful day... 

"Trunks! My dearest Trunks! I have waited patiently for this day. For ten thousand years, I have only thought of you, my dearest Trunks!" 

A younger, inexperienced half-Saiyan could only stand in confusion as he was embraced by a strange girl who was battered and wore tattered clothes. 

"Through the endless nights, you were the only thing that kept me going these past ten millennia." Ifurita continued. 

"Excuse me, but.... who are you?" Trunks asked as he and Ifurita stood in the middle of the ruins. 

"You mean... you've forgotten?" Ifurita then remembered that this Trunks had yet to meet with her. She then broke off the embrace and stepped back. "No matter. Time grows short and my power has dwindled with the passage of time. With my remaining strength, I shall send you to El Hazard." 

"El Hazard? What are you talking about?!" 

"Go now... and be safe... my brave Saiyan." 

"Hold on! How do you know that I'm a Saiyan...?" 

At that moment, Ifurita let loose with a bright light, which engulfed Trunks and those who were still in the school, namely Nanami, Mr. Fujisawa and Jinnai. A moment later, they were gone, leaving only the Demon-God. 

Ifurita then fell to her knees and a tear ran down her cheek. She had waited ten thousand years to meet with Trunks and had only been able to see and touch him for a few minutes before sending him off. But to her, it had been worth it. Now the question was... what was she going to do now? 

She then remembered the images that Trunks had given to her in the Eye of God and one such metal picture burned brightly. It was an image of a large structure called... Kami's Lookout. 

Though she knew that it would exhaust whatever remaining energy she had, she took off into the sky. 

---------- 

A few days later... 

Vegita turned his back after his son and those two girls had disappeared and sent back to El Hazard. At that moment, he heard the other Z Fighters and their friends gasp in shock as something came down and crashed onto the platform of Kami's Lookout. 

The Prince of All Saiyans joined his wife and daughter as they looked at what appeared to be a girl in tattered, outlandish clothes and looked as if she had taken on the Ginyu Force, Frieza, Cell and Majin Buu all at once. 

"Who are you?" Vegita demanded. 

The girl was just barely able lift her head and said in a quiet whisper, "I am... Ifurita." 

---------- 

The Capsule Corp... 

"So my son saved El Hazard?" Bulma said as she tended to Ifurita's damaged systems. She was lying on the same work table that Bulma had used to repair Android Sixteen. 

"Yes... he defeated me and freed me. He is a very.. special young man." 

Bulma couldn't help but smile at Ifurita's praise of her offspring after the Demon-God had told her of what happened when Trunks came back to El Hazard. "Yes, he is, but then again I always knew that. After all, I am his mother." 

"I only saw him for that brief moment before sending him to El Hazard, but it was worth the ten thousand years of waiting. I was glad to have seen him one last time." 

"And what do you mean by that? You'll see him again in a year." 

Ifurita sat up at these words. "W-W-What? But... I FELT the Eye of God being destroyed, just after I was flung through time and space!" 

Bulma shrugged and smiled. "Who needs an Eye of God, when we've got Dragon Balls?" 

"Dragon Balls?" 

The mother of Trunks laughed as she told the Demon-God about the mystical orbs and of the Dragon Sheng Long. 

Meanwhile, scattered all across the Earth, the seven Dragon Balls were laying in their new hiding places, turned into ordinary stones until the time in which the Eternal Dragon would once again grant wishes to the person who found them. 

THE END... FOR NOW 

Author's Notes 

Well, that does it for Dragon Ball Hazard, and I hope everyone enjoyed it. I certainly enjoyed writing it. As for the next obvious question... yes, I did write Dragon Ball Hazard 2... on paper. And as for the following question as to whether or not it will posted, the answer is yes... eventually. Until then, I'm going back to my other stories now. Any other questions can be e-mailed to me at [animeaddiction@hotmail.com][1].

   [1]: mailto:animeaddiction@hotmail.com



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